


Iron & Wine

by baby_bubastis



Category: Black Panther (2018), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Frostprincess, IronPrincess, Masturbation, NSFW, Vaginal Fingering, rating for eventual smuttiness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-10-07 20:45:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17373008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baby_bubastis/pseuds/baby_bubastis
Summary: Hard and soft,Sharp and smooth,Bitter and sweet;Iron on my skin,Wine on my tongue,And you in my veins.





	1. At Arm's Length

He's a dick.

 

That shouldn’t come as a surprise to Shuri. His reputation precedes him, so she should expect as much.

 

Though, when talking with the likes of her brother or Dr. Banner, she had gotten the impression the billionaire playboy erred more on the side of affable douchebag than outright asshole. 

 

Actually meeting Tony Stark for the first time proves a rude awakening for the new Black Panther.

 

With T’Challa and Nakia turning their focus to Wakandan outreach and starting a family, Shuri has taken up the mantle. And as much as she loves what she does back home, in the familiar domain of her lab, she's practically vibrating with excitement the morning of her first official introduction to the Avengers.

 

She's met most of the team before, and figures she already has a leg up.

 

Mr. Stark Industries himself knocks it right down.

*

*

*

“ _Fuck me_.”

 

The mumbled expletive isn’t the first thing she expects to hear.

 

Everyone gapes at the source of the outburst.

 

Apparently realizing he had spoken aloud (judging by his _almost_ embarrassed expression), Tony drags a hand down his face and sighs. “I’m sorry, I just- you’re what, 18? How-“

 

“24, actually,” Shuri sniffs, before he continues on like she hasn't spoken.

 

“- is a 90 pound princess qualified to be a part of this team?”

 

She levels a gaze at him as he gives her a once over, an unreadable look in his eyes. 

 

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Stark. And since you asked, I’ve been prepared for this since birth. T’Challa himself taught me, and I have proven more than capable in my time as the Black Panther. I plan to prove myself here as well. If you have a problem with that, tell me now.”

 

That shuts him up; not so much the words, but the steel in her voice, the fire in her gaze. He continues to stare, and Bruce quickly steps in to break up the awkward moment.

 

“Shuri! So excited to have you." He shakes her hand at first, then wraps her in a friendly embrace.

 

“Thank you, Dr. Banner. I’m excited to be here.” She resists the urge to shoot Tony a glare, instead turning to smile up at the man in front of her.

 

"Bruce, please." He beams, and he’s so kind and adorable that she relaxes just a bit.

 

After saying hellos to everyone else (with Tony still noticeably glowering against the far wall) Bruce offers to show her to her room.

 

As they exit the main entryway, Shuri can feel Stark’s eyes still on her. 

*

*

*

Tony doesn't seem to thaw much after their initial encounter. 

 

At home, she's used to staying in her lab for hours, sometimes even days, on end, especially if she's onto something promising. It's nearly midnight when Shuri hears the footsteps- steady, weary. Her back stiffens, and she turns around in time to catch him as he pauses just inside the threshold.

 

He sighs, entire being radiating tension. 

 

Having lost track of how long she's been down here working, she's abruptly aware of how much of a mess she must look under Tony's scrutinizing gaze. Sharp amber eyes take in her hair, long since released from the intricate bun and draping down her back. His brow furrows as he surveys the hemline of her skirts, and she squirms. Something about the way he lingers there and then quickly looks away makes her skin prickle.

 

After a long moment, he speaks. "I’ll come back later..."

 

"Wait!” His eyebrows raise, but he halts. “Maybe I could use a fresh set of eyes." 

 

They haven't spoken much since their first meeting, and Shuri just wants a do-over; the last thing she needs is unnecessary tension between her and one of the team leaders. Especially considering she had been particularly excited about meeting Tony to begin with. She's actually a fan of his Bleeding Edge suit tech, and it's not often she gets to talk shop with someone who can even remotely follow her excited techno-ramblings. 

 

So she hops down from her perch on the desk and nods toward the screen in front of her that’s currently running calculations. “Would you mind?” 

 

His expression slips into one of careful neutrality, and he steps forward. If she didn’t know better, she would think he’s almost... wary?  
He settles in beside her, and she gets a whiff of his clean, spicy scent. She suppresses a shiver. _That’s unexpected._

 

His eyes flit back and forth across the screen as he tracks the rapid activity of the computer. Several minutes pass, and then he’s staring at Shuri, almost in disbelief.

 

“These look like functions for calculating brain electrical activity...” She can see the gears turning in his head, but stays silent. He notices, then, the holos that are up around her. “Neural links... but what are...?” He mumbles to himself as he catches on.

 

Her heart pounds against her ribcage as she waits for him to get up to speed. And then something clicks, and he’s looking at her like he’s seeing for the first time. “Brain computer interfaces. Mind uploading. You’re developing a way to upload and transfer living human consciousness.” There’s a hint of awe in his voice.

 

Shuri can’t help her tentative smile, and she bites her lip, turning back toward the screen. “I have been for a while. The brain mapping itself didn’t take me long to figure out.” Tony huffs out a short laugh, shaking his head. “But I’m having trouble reconstructing the neural network from the live scan in the simulation.”

 

Tony opens his mouth, then closes it, crossing his arms. He’s quiet for several moments. She nervously fiddles with the ring on her left hand.

 

"Okay... explain to me what you've got so far. _Slowly_." His tone is serious, and his face is stern, but Shuri nearly squeals with excitement. Maybe he’s warming up to her after all.

 

"Alright," she chirps, "let me see..." She leans across the desk without thinking. In her eagerness to show Tony her work, she doesn't stop to realize just how close he had gotten, and he doesn't have time to step back. 

 

Her small frame falls right into him.

 

Strong hands reach out to grab her tiny waist and steady her.

 

She’s startled again, when he moves back like he’s been shocked.

 

“I’m sorry! I’m so clumsy, I-“

 

“Forget it, kid,” he grunts from three feet away. A hand raises up to rub at the back of his neck. “Look, I can’t help you with this. I’m not one of your lab lackeys, alright?” Tony barely looks at her as he speaks. His jaw is clenched.

 

Shuri feels like she’s been smacked. What did she do? “I’m sorry, it was an accident.” She shakes her head. “I really would like your input. If you’re busy right now-“

 

“Yeah. I have someplace to be. Maybe find Banner, he’s around here somewhere.” He’s tense again, and his tone is sarcastic, clipped.

 

She simply stares as he turns and stalks out of the lab, at a loss for words. What the hell was that?

*

*

*

After that, she never finds herself alone in the same room with him, and he avoids speaking directly to her as much as possible. When he does, it's a snide “princess” or “sweetie” or "kid," almost _never_ “Shuri”. If he’s not being condescending, he’s avoiding her altogether.

 

For her part, Shuri does her best to ignore it. Apparently, the man’s ego is too big to handle having yet another genius - namely one smarter and younger than him - on board. Not her problem. She couldn’t care less about what Tony Stark thinks of her. 

 

Mostly. 

 

But she's a big girl, and she has to accept the fact that not everyone is going to simply fall at her feet when she smiles at them. She doesn't mention anything to her mother or brother or Okoye, or any of her friends back home, not wanting to worry them.

 

She has more important matters to deal with.

 

Training with the Avengers proves to be a slightly different animal than training with her brother and the Dora Milaje. She has to adjust to different personalities, different fighting styles, different strategies. Like most everything she does, she adapts quickly and excels. Everyone - save for a certain Iron grump - practically falls in love with the Princess and each take her under their wing in their own capacity. 

*

*

*

Several months into joining the team, she and Natasha are heading to the showers after a sparring session, when Shuri decides to bite the bullet and ask for advice.

 

“So... how am I doing? Really?” 

 

Natasha stops midway through undressing and looks up from her perch on the locker room bench.

 

“Honestly? You’re a natural. Kicked my ass in there just now.” She chuckles and continues to get ready for her shower.

 

Shuri hesitates for a second.

 

Oh, screw it.

 

“Do you think everyone feels that way? I know I’m new to the team, and I’m a lot younger. I just want to make sure I’m pulling my weight.”

 

Natasha smiles kindly and grabs her towel.

 

“Shuri, you are _more_ than pulling your weight. We’re all glad you’re here, and not just because you can give Stark a run for his money.” She winks. 

 

Shuri gives her a tight smile and shrugs. “I just never thought he would hate me because of it. If anything, I assumed we would get along better than most”.

 

Nat pauses then, concern written all over her face. “He doesn't hate you." She sighs. "Tony can be an ass. He's basically a child, so if you ignore him, he'll eventually get over it," she tries to joke.

 

But there's something in Natasha’s eyes that tells Shuri her friend knows more than she's letting on. She furrows her brow and asks, "What is it?"

 

Then the expression is gone, Nat shaking her head. “Tony's just... Tony. He pretends like we're all a burden and a nuisance, but he'll warm up. I could always kick his ass for you though, if you want." 

 

Shuri giggles, and suddenly she's so thankful for the friends she _does_ have. She’s not going to let one man get in the way of her happiness. "That's ok, I can handle it."

 

Natasha hugs her, and Shuri tries to put the matter out of her mind.

 

"Thank you."

 

Nat smiles and nods. “Let’s get cleaned up so we can go eat. I think it’s Steve’s turn to make dinner, and I don’t want to miss the show.”

 

The two women laugh, hurrying into the showers and dropping the conversation. 

*

*

*

She’s shocked to get the invitation to Tony’s birthday party. Granted, it’s less a formal invitation than a “Of course you’re invited!” from Rhodey. 

 

A new nightclub just opened up in Manhattan and, of course, Tony is renting it out for the bash, overgrown man-child that he is. But it's neutral territory, Shuri thinks, so she decides it can’t hurt to attend. Besides, she loves to dance, and she won’t miss an opportunity to let off some steam with her friends, not even for Tony Stark.

 

Natasha and Wanda take her shopping to find something “grown and sexy”. (Their words, not hers). “You can’t wear combat boots to everything,” Natasha insists. 

 

And that’s how Shuri finds herself being dragged into a nightclub at ten o' clock on a Saturday night, wearing little more than a shimmering gold and white mini dress and sexier-than-necessary stilettos. 

 

People are already beginning to crowd the first two levels of the venue. Thumping bass rattles her bones and sweat beads on her brow and upper lip. She and her two companions link hands and begin pushing through the near-endless sea of bodies in search of the VIP area. 

 

That’s a mission in and of itself. Multiple floors, dim lighting, deafening music, and high (yet not completely uncomfortable) heels make for the obstacle course from hell. Still, they make steady progress winding their way around one shouting stranger after another, until Wanda runs bodily into two guys who seem to cross in front of her out of nowhere. By some miracle, the drinks the men carry remain intact.

 

Preparing to give an earful, Wanda looks up into two familiar sets of brown and blue eyes. Sam registers his fellow teammates and laughs, then turns to Steve, nudging him with his elbow. "Aye, we need to be more careful, Cap." They apologize to Wanda, who waves it off and hugs both of them before asking where they’re headed.

 

"We just got here, so probably same place as you," Sam says, gesturing with his glass to somewhere up and to the right. Shuri follows his gaze and sees a slightly better lit area on the third floor with plush couches and a smaller bar. 

 

Once they make it up to VIP (the birthday boy nowhere to be found, much to her relief), Shuri greets the other guests and excuses herself for a drink. After putting in her order, she leans against the bar and fiddles with the short asymmetrical hem of her dress.

 

“Well if it isn’t my favorite Princess,” she hears in her left ear, a cool, strong hand appearing at the small of her back. She grins at the deep, sensual voice and turns toward the source.

 

“Loki.”

 

"Sweet Shuri," the taller man replies, bowing slightly.

 

Her lips quirk up and she playfully swats him on the arm before reaching up to hug her dear friend. He slides both hands to her waist, and whispers, "You look stunning. Please tell me all of this isn't to impress that idiot, Stark." She suppresses a snort, tossing a few stray braids out of her face and over her shoulder.

 

"Wanda and Natasha just wanted an excuse to dress me up like a Barbie. You know this isn't my speed." 

 

"Oh, I beg to differ, Your Highness."

 

Pale blue eyes slowly rake over her form, and a flush warms her cheeks. Just then, the bartender slides over her drink. She takes the opportunity to breathe, having a seat on a bar stool. No matter how often she sees this man, she never quite gets used to him. No man has ever reacted to her the way Loki does. Part of her always assumed he's simply playing the role of notorious charmer and flirt. But what a delicious experience being caught up in the charm, real or not.

 

The Princess of Wakanda and the Prince of Asgard had officially met six months ago. When he and his brother came to New York to help with a mission (Loki’s skills proved to be particularly useful), the two became fast friends. While there was an obvious mutual attraction, neither had ever acted on it.

 

"Remind me to thank your friends later," Loki says with a sly grin. 

 

She giggles and waves him off. "I'm surprised to even see you here."

 

"Yes, well, we're not exactly the best of friends, but Tony and I resolved at least some of our... issues after my little trip here last year. It seems helping people instead of trying to kill them tends to make less enemies. Besides, my brother and Hilde wouldn't miss a party, and I figured there was a chance you’d be here."

 

"And to think, I almost didn't come," she muses with a smirk.

 

Loki hums low in his throat. It sends heat straight to her core. "Let me assure you, Princess," he rumbles, eyeing her with a lecherous grin, "your coming is surely the highlight of my evening." 

 

If Shuri had been sipping on her drink at that moment, she would've choked. As it is, her lips part and she huffs out a surprised little breath. She doesn’t miss the double entendre in his words, and the man knows exactly what effect he is having on her as he watches her squirm in her seat and cross her legs tightly. For once, she is blanking on a witty reply. 

 

Loki has mercy on her and changes the subject, asking after things at the compound. She tries to cover her initial reaction, but he picks up on the small grimace. "Don't tell me being a member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes is already boring you?"

 

Shuri does snort at that. "No, no, it's not that. It’s plenty challenging, and I'm learning a lot. It's good. I just," she pauses to take a drink, stalling to find the right words. "Not everyone has gotten used to having me around..." Setting the glass down, she wipes the condensation on her hands down the fabric covering her hips. Loki’s gaze follows the trail of her slender brown fingers, before glancing back up and absorbing her words.

 

"Ah. Let me guess: Stark." She can practically feel the annoyance radiating off of him. It almost makes her smile. Instead, she averts her eyes, embarrassed for even bringing it up in the first place. 

 

Almost a year on the team, and it still nags her that Tony’s attitude toward her hasn’t changed. Logically, she knows it’s impossible for _everyone_ she meets to instantly like her. But she’s handled his open disdain with nothing but grace and, frankly, she’s getting a bit fed up. 

 

Loki leans in to capture her chin with one long, pale finger. "You are far too exquisite to be bothered by the likes of him. Stark is an overcompensating prick. Don't let him rattle you." She meets his eyes. Startled by the intensity she finds there, Shuri attempts to lighten the mood.

 

She chuckles once, half-heartedly. "I thought you and Tony were all good?”

 

"Not if he's making you unhappy, my dear. I noticed you two didn't interact much when last I was here, but I assumed it was merely the stress of the mission, and-"

 

"It's fine, Loki, I'm being silly." She shrugs, his devilishly handsome face still inches from her own.

 

He simply watches her for a brief moment, then releases her chin and sighs. "Darling, nothing you feel could ever be silly. But if you say it's fine, I believe you. Just know, I'm here if you need me." She feels a little tug on her heart and whispers a thank you, before glancing down again.

 

After a beat, he straightens. “ _And_ if you ever need a change of scenery, there is a place for you in Norway. My brother's settlement is growing nicely, but we could always use a brilliant mind such as yours. Plus I need someone else up there to get into trouble with."

 

Amused, Shuri arches a brow. “Don’t tempt me, Loki.” 

 

“Maybe that’s the point.” He licks his lips. _Bast_ , this man is entirely too charming. The heat coming from those eyes, sinful pink lips twisted up into a mischievous smirk, raven-colored waves falling around his shoulders and into his eyes; he has no right to look so good. The black on black suit he wears was made just for him, and he notices her open appreciation.

 

Just then, the music changes to something a little smoother, but still upbeat. He clears his throat and offers a hand. “Care for a dance, Princess?”

*

*

*

It feels better than she thought it would to get out on the floor. She hasn’t had much down time since becoming an Avenger, but the tension in her shoulders melts away with the rhythm of the music. 

 

Loki can really move. They dance together seamlessly and she’s quickly becoming addicted to the feel of his tall, lean frame against hers. He can’t seem to resist her as she turns around, pressing her back to his front, slowly grinding into him. 

 

After the third or fourth song, she needs a breather, and maybe a drink. Just as they step off the dance floor, everything goes dark. A spotlight trains its beam on none other than the man of the hour.

 

The DJ shouts a clever introduction, and then Tony officially kicks off the festivities. "I want to thank everybody for coming out to celebrate with me. They say age is nothin' but a number, and there's no way in hell I'm lettin' fifty slow me down! Drinks are on me, so let's have some fun tonight!" He raises his glass and downs its contents in one gulp before bowing with a flourish and cueing the DJ to start up the music again.

 

Shuri rolls her eyes and continues on to the bar, Loki in tow. "Why is he like this?" she mutters. Although, she has to admit, Tony Stark knows how to work a crowd. 

 

After taking a quick break and chatting some more at the bar, she decides she wants another dance. They run into Steve and Sam with Natasha and Maria Hill, and, surprisingly, they all greet Loki enthusiastically. 

*

*

*

As the night carries on, the drinks flow. Shuri finds that she can’t stop smiling. Thor and Brunnhilde join in, and their little group grows. It’s so nice to relax, and laugh. She takes turns dancing with her friends.

 

She can barely move without bumping into someone, but the music is infectious, and she loses herself in it. 

 

Eventually the mood shifts; the club darkens, red lights coming on to enhance the change in atmosphere brought on by the sultry R & B song that pours from the speakers. Shuri closes her eyes, hands reaching up into her hair as she revels in the sensation of the alcohol and the heavy bass flooding her system. Slowly winding her hips in the middle of the crowd, everything else falls away.

 

She can’t remember the last time she felt so carefree. This isn’t something she would usually do; the dress, the dancing alone. It’s intoxicating, and she runs with it. 

 

Her skin prickles in the most delicious way when he sidles up behind her. They sway together effortlessly to the ebb and flow of the beat, lyrics seeping into her brain and igniting her.

 

Strong hands slip slowly from her waist to grip her hips. The growing hardness against her backside only spurs her along. A barely suppressed groan resounds in her ear, and heat coils in her belly. She lifts her hands up and reaches behind her to Loki's neck, slipping into the hair at his nape. 

 

Instead of his signature shoulder-length waves, she finds her fingers sliding through short, thick strands. That’s not right. It dawns on her that she hadn't had to reach up quite as high, and the form pressed against her isn’t as slim as she would have expected. She freezes for a nanosecond, and then whips around. 

 

Her brain practically short circuits at the face that greets her. Closed eyelids slowly open, and Tony's dilated pupils focus.

 

They jump apart like they’ve been electrocuted. 

 

_Stupid_ dark club. And okay, maybe she is a little (a lot) more buzzed than she cares to admit. But... _Tony_?

 

She moves to flee, and he grabs her wrist. He quickly lets go when she glares first at his hand, then up at him. A myriad of emotions seem to filter across his face; shock, guilt... arousal? Then his eyes flicker over her body, so quick she almost thinks she imagines it, and he licks his lips. Her face heats, and she can't seem to budge. 

 

The spell is broken when he clears his throat, and before he can stammer out a half-formed apology, Shuri abruptly turns and pushes through the crowd toward the restroom.

 

Once inside, she mentally shakes herself and inhales deeply. What the _hell_? She’s just spent the last several minutes in a dark club grinding on Tony Stark. And from the feel of it, he had liked it. A shiver runs through her, and she’s loathe to admit that she enjoyed the way he felt and smelled and sounded up against her. She closes her eyes to steady her breathing, and the low rumble of his heated groan comes rushing back. 

 

Is Tony actually attracted to her? She nearly laughs at the idea. 

 

And yet, her skin burns where he touched her. The things those hands could probably do...

 

_Wait, what?_

 

She knows she's had too much to drink then, and decides it’s time to call it a night.

 

Once she finds her way back to her group, Loki reappears and offers to escort her home, but it’s so late and Wanda and Nat are ready to leave too. He informs her that he'll be in town for a few more days, and Shuri leaves the handsome trickster with a kiss on the cheek and a promise to call soon. 

 

The whole ride home is a blur, her head clouded from adrenaline, alcohol, and a nagging sensation in her stomach. Having Loki's charm focused on her for most of the night was overwhelming enough; the whole fiasco with Tony completely throws her. 

 

Too exhausted to sort any of it out at the moment, she bids a sleepy goodnight to Wanda and Natasha once they reach the compound, and flops into bed after undressing and wrapping her braids.

 

The last thought she has as she drifts off to sleep is the memory of warm hands moving along her hips and hazel, lust-blown eyes.

*

*

*

He fucked up. That simple. As sloppy and cocky as Tony can be, he somehow can't believe he's slipped up this much. 

 

Truthfully, it was the alcohol, and the club was so dark. He had been on the other side of the floor, socializing and charming pretty women, trying to avoid the one he couldn't get away from. 

 

He had spotted her the second she stepped foot into VIP, all petite frame with long limbs, miles of softly glowing dark skin wrapped in luminescent fabric. Shuri is uncommonly beautiful on any day, but this new look also definitely did something for him. He had never gotten a glimpse of so much of her skin before, bare legs on display, ending in dainty feet strapped into sexy heels. And he couldn't stop himself from imagining how those legs would feel wrapped around his waist. Or his head...

 

So after staring slack-jawed for long enough that it was probably becoming noticeable, Tony slipped up to one of the balconies, firmly resolving to double his efforts to avoid the Princess tonight at all costs.

 

That hadn't stopped him from watching her for most of the evening. He felt the hot lead of jealousy settle in his gut at the sight of fucking Reindeer Games trying to shoot his shot with her - all charming accent and enchanting blue eyes and tall, regal frame. 

 

True, they weren't enemies anymore, but Tony didn’t like the way the man looked at her. Why Loki had even decided to show up had been a mystery until Tony watched him with Shuri. He should’ve known; he had been there when they first met. 

 

The God of Mischief was apparently trying to turn over a new leaf, and he and the Princess had hit it off when working together. But what he witnessed of the two at the bar and on the dance floor appeared to be something more than friendly acquaintance. Loki wanted her, and he wasn't being shy about it. She seemed to be similarly affected. It made Tony want to scream.

 

Really, though, what the hell should he care who she sleeps with (Or, hopefully, doesn't sleep with)? Shuri is a princess, for crying out loud, and young enough to be his daughter. If those weren't good enough reasons to push aside whatever he's feeling, he doesn't know what would be. 

 

So he ignored the tightness in his chest when her eyes lit up at one of Loki's whispered jokes. He tried not to clench his jaw when he caught the movement of the other man's hands along the slight swell of her hips.

 

Before Tony knew it, he was cueing the DJ early so he could welcome everyone to the party and hurry up onto the dance floor. Not so he could get closer to Shuri, though. He was just ready to do something other than stand on the balcony drinking and listening to Bruce and Rhodey banter back and forth. 

 

Tony really had meant to keep his distance. The surprise on his face when he opened his eyes to Shuri's bewildered stare was genuine, and he wants to kick himself because he realizes that, subconsciously, he had been getting closer and closer to her all night. She’s like a damn magnet. And now what is he supposed to do? She had definitely felt him up against her and seen the lust in his eyes before he had so stupidly grabbed her. They're teammates, and he needs to get a grip. If it had been tough to hide his infatuation with her before, it was going to take a Herculean effort to push it aside now. Because how is he supposed to forget the intoxicating smell of her skin and her hair? 

 

Memories of the tantalizing weight of her ass pressed into his groin taunt him, even now, as he rolls over and out of bed in an unfamiliar room, dressing hurriedly so he can get back to the compound before everyone else wakes up. 

 

Whatever distraction Tony hoped for in the woman he left with after his party hadn't been enough. All he could think of as he fucked her was what it would feel like to have Shuri wrapped around him, hot and tight and so wet, just for him. He pretended it was Shuri moaning for him, begging for harder, faster. That was what had finally gotten him to climax. He feels so dirty, and now he's back at square one, because all he’s done is make everything worse for himself.

 

When he shoves his bedroom door open, orange and pink and gold are just beginning to color the morning sky.

 

There is absolutely no way he’s getting to sleep now. Not with thoughts of soft, deep umber skin clouding his mind and making the blood race in his veins. So he trudges on down to the lab after a quick shower, in search of a drink and something to do with his hands other than give in to the sordid urges that surge through his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter for IronPrincess, so let me know what you think! I was super nervous posting this one, but I'm hoping someone enjoys it lol. Kudos and comments are always appreciated! Thank you for reading! <3


	2. Slippery Slope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's a greedy, lecherous old man who wants things he shouldn't. He's made every attempt to keep his distance, push her away. And then he thinks of the other night, of this moment right now, and he knows he isn't trying hard enough.

When Shuri finally wakes, sunlight streaming across her face, she is somehow even more confused than the night before, and definitely more frustrated. The details are already floating away as she drifts closer to consciousness, but what she does remember of her dreams leaves a throbbing between her thighs. 

 

Miraculously, her hangover is minimal, despite whatever the hell had been in those drinks at the club last night.

 

Two full bottles of water, and one long, hot shower later, she's dressed and ambling around the kitchen, looking for something edible.

 

"Rough night?"

 

She closes the fridge to find Natasha leaned up against the counter, looking like the cat who ate the canary.

 

Shuri narrows her eyes, trying not to appear as guilty as she feels. "You could say that. What about you?"

 

Nat shrugs and slides onto one of the bar stools at the island. "I've had worse. So... I saw you last night. With Loki...?" She waggles her eyebrows, and Shuri releases a relieved chuckle, silently praying that _no one_ had witnessed her little dance with Tony.

 

"Yeah, well, the man basically oozes charm." Shuri smirks, shaking her head as she recalls her flirtations with Loki from the night before. "He's a good friend."

 

She turns back to grab eggs and bacon from the refrigerator.

 

"I think he likes you. Might be good for you." Shuri nearly drops the eggs as she carries them to the counter.

 

"You sure you aren't hung over, Romanoff? This is >i>Loki you're talking about. I thought you still didn't care for him?"

 

Natasha waves a hand as she moves to grab a cup of coffee. "Oh, I still don't trust him as far as I can throw him. But, he's trying, so there's that. He's obviously into you, and you couldn't stop blushing and giggling."

 

Shuri tosses a sponge at a laughing Natasha, who dodges the projectile before it can smack her in the chest.

 

"I'm just saying! I haven't seen you talk to anybody outside of the team and your family since you've been here. I think it's nice. You deserve to have something for yourself."

 

Shuri's heart warms at that, and she responds with a genuine smile.

 

*

*

*

 

Breakfast gets made quickly with Natasha's help, and Bruce eventually joins, offering his expert pancake-making skills. By the time it’s all said and done, almost everyone has made an appearance except Tony. 

 

Shuri doesn’t know if she should be disappointed or relieved by that. 

 

They’re cleaning up when Natasha and Wanda invite her to run errands and grab lunch a bit later.

 

“Thanks, but I think I’m going to head down to the rec room and train. I feel like a complete slob.”

 

Natasha tilts her head curiously, but remains silent.

 

Shuri leaves them with a promise to catch up later and runs to her room to strip out of her pajamas, rifling around for something to work out in.

 

*

*

*

 

About an hour in, Shuri realizes that being alone with her thoughts maybe wasn't the best idea, and the training simulation she's running isn't as engaging as she'd hoped. Exasperated, she decides to type out a message to Loki, hoping he's free. She could use a workout partner right now, and they haven't sparred together since he was last in town. Amazingly, he's not busy at all. He shows up shortly after responding to her invitation. 

 

Fighting with him is almost as thrilling as dancing, and she's glad for the distraction. She'd forgotten just how truly skilled he is at hand-to-hand. 

 

They're in there for longer than she anticipated. She's three and two, her knees straddling his slim hips and her forearm against his throat, when they decide it’s time for a break. For someone who's just gotten his ass handed to him, Loki looks extremely pleased about it. Panting and drenched in sweat, their eyes stay locked on each other for a second longer than necessary. He moistens his lips, and her stomach flutters. 

 

Just then her Kimoyo bracelet vibrates.

 

She hops up, lending Loki a hand before checking her messages.

 

“Natasha says dinner will be ready soon. Want to come?”

 

He eyes her as she drinks from her water bottle and then nods. “I’d love to.”

 

Shuri doesn’t miss his smirk, but she just bites her lip and returns her gaze to her phone, typing a response.

 

“Let’s head up,” she says. “There’s a spare shower down the hall from my room.” Then, pocketing her device, she turns his way. “Last one to the door has to clean up!” Whipping her sweaty towel in the direction of Loki’s startled face, she rushes for the exit, bursting through before he can even flinch, and runs headlong into a wall of solid, lean muscle.

 

*

*

*

 

It’s early evening by the time he surfaces.

 

Tony has successfully made upgrades to his armor and Rhodey’s, and he’s also fiddled around with a new little side project.

 

Everyone must be out and about doing their own thing, because there isn’t much noise in the compound. Heavy bass emanates from down the hall as he steps off the elevator, and there are hushed voices coming from the kitchen area above, but that’s about it.

 

What finally pulled Tony from his work was a snag with some of his calculations. That and the fact that he had grown tired and frustrated with uselessly hiding from someone half his age like a coward. 

 

He's deep in thought when the door to the training room flies open and he's practically bowled over by a small blur.

 

"Sorry!"

 

The uptempo Afrobeats song is louder as it pours out of the open door, and now Tony knows who was using the room.

 

Wide, startled brown eyes look up into his, and he has to stop himself from cursing aloud. Perfect fucking timing.

 

Shuri clears her throat and steps back, smoothing her clothes with her hands. "Sorry Tony, didn't know you were there," she mutters. She leans down to pick up her dropped water bottle, and Tony can't keep his eyes from roaming the expanse of her lithe frame. Her long legs are encased in leggings that look painted on, and the only thing covering her breasts is a small sports bra. 

 

She's been in there a while, if her glistening skin is any indication. Sweat drips from her neck into her bra, and he averts his eyes before she can notice his stare.

 

"It's fine," he replies quickly and moves to get around her. Abruptly, the music cuts off and a deep, accented voice comes up behind him, stopping him cold.

 

"Very sneaky, Princess. I-" Loki halts when he notices Tony. "Ah, Stark. I hope you weren't waiting long to utilize the space. We've just finished up." Tony turns, and he wants to wipe that infuriating grin off the other man’s face.

 

What is Loki even doing here? Did he stay over last night? And then he remembers he isn't supposed to care.

 

"No, I'm good." Tony continues on to the kitchen without another word.

 

Their playful banter follows him down the hall, and he wishes that maybe he hadn't left the lab so soon.

 

*

*

*

 

Dinner is... odd. Everyone is relaxed, even with Loki around. Which shouldn't be terribly shocking, considering he has come a long way from his days of trying to destroy the Avengers and subjugate humanity. 

 

The only one who seems uneasy, surprisingly, is Tony.

 

Loki's skills of illusion had played a key part in helping to infiltrate an old HYDRA base on their last mission. The all-but-extinct organization somehow gained possession of a piece of Asgardian technology that was previously recovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. years ago, but had recently disappeared. 

 

What no one counted on was the small HYDRA cell being much larger than anticipated. With the rest of the team having followed what turned out to be a false lead halfway across the world, the soldiers inside easily outnumbered Loki and Tony (the latter of which had accompanied the Prince of Asgard in hopes of extrapolating any useful data files and providing extra muscle). 

 

It was Shuri's first official mission as an Avenger, and she had stayed with Natasha and Thor, distracting and eliminating the guards on the perimeter. 

 

At some point, Loki and Tony were found out, and shit hit the fan. By the time Thor, Nat, and Shuri could fight their way into the building, their teammates were practically crawling out. They had survived, but just barely. 

 

The stolen weapon turned out to be a recovered piece of the Berserker Staff that was brought to Earth by Asgardians and hidden centuries ago. The staff had the nasty habit of turning anyone who touched it into a nigh-invincible creature of rage and violence. HYDRA had been attempting to duplicate the technology as a biotechinogical weapon to create an ungodly and vicious army. After it was all said and done, the recovered staff fragment was secured and returned to S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

Shuri never got the whole story on what exactly had transpired inside, but it had left the two men with a new, if tenuous, respect for one another.

 

Judging by the way Tony is acting now, one would almost think the two were enemies again. Loki barely seems to notice, or at least he doesn't care. Most of his attention is focused on Shuri throughout the meal. Every so often, she shoots a glare Tony's way when he makes a snide comment or rude joke, but he pointedly avoids her gaze.

 

_What is his problem?_

 

Someone inevitably turns the conversation to Tony's party, and she squirms. Steve and Sam are debating who won their impromptu "dance battle" the previous night, when Wanda pipes up. "I don't know, I think Shuri and the God of Mischief over here have you both beat." She smiles conspiratorially at Natasha. "I didn't know you two could move that well," she says, turning in Shuri's direction.

 

Shuri clears her throat and looks up from her plate to find narrowed hazel eyes locked on hers. 

 

"I'm a man of many talents, as is our dear Princess," Loki chimes in, leaning into Shuri. "I was merely following her lead."

 

Shuri tears her gaze from Tony's, and looks up at her friends. "You're _both_ being too generous."

 

"I think you're right, Wanda," Nat says. "Sorry boys, they might have you beat for cutest couple." She winks at Steve and Sam, the latter of which playfully flips her off while the former simply laughs, shaking his head.

 

"Man, whatever. What do _you_ think, Tony?" Sam asks.

 

Shuri's near-empty plate is suddenly extremely interesting, and she examines it while trying to quell the burn in her cheeks.

 

"I think the kid knew exactly what she was doing out there, didn't you Princess?," Tony responds after a beat. Shuri doesn't know if she wants to smack him or sink into the floor. His tone is casual enough and he grins easily, though he's still staring right at her, and his eyes are cold. She has no idea what he's playing at, but she really doesn't appreciate it.

 

She arches a brow, leaning back in her seat. "And how would you know that?"

 

"Perhaps you're just jealous, Stark."

 

Tony's attention shifts to Loki and his brow furrows before the other man continues.

 

"That’s the one thing you don’t possess - rhythm." Loki's joke is good-natured, but Shuri thinks she sees a hint of warning in his icy blue orbs. Everyone else at the table laughs. Tony's jaw twitches, and he lets out a humorless chuckle.

 

After the laughter dies down, a few smaller conversations start up, and Bruce stands to gather empty dishes. Tony gets up to help. Shuri watches the two men disappear into the kitchen.

 

She's murmuring to Loki about his plans for the remainder of his stay in town when she notices that Bruce comes back alone. 

 

*

*

*

 

"I hope I wasn't too hard on you earlier," she teases as they near the front door, stopping to say their farewells for the evening.

 

His answering laugh is deliciously deep, and it makes her heart race. "I'd never tell you if you were. Perhaps I liked it." 

 

Her lips curve in an amused smirk. "Well, thank you for coming over. I think I needed to blow off some steam."

 

Loki's cool, calloused hands reach down to gently hold hers. "The pleasure is all mine, my dear." His thumbs graze the skin of her knuckles. The motion is distracting. Shuri glances down at the action as heat settles in her belly, and she gasps as he gently pulls her closer.

 

His eyes are nearly black when she cranes her neck to stare straight up at him. Subconsciously, her tongue swipes across her top lip, and his right hand drops hers to slide around to the small of her back.

 

Her mind is racing, but she can't form any coherent thought. 

 

She's not entirely sure who moves in first. In the next instant, her lips are pressed softly against his. Then his other hand snakes around her waist, and she slides her hands up his arms to his neck, stretching up on tiptoe.

 

When her fingers catch a few strands of his hair and grip, his mouth falls open slightly. Before Shuri knows what she's doing, she darts her tongue out to taste him. 

 

He releases a groan and pulls her in tighter, thumb gently rubbing circles into her left hip. That, and the clean, minty taste of him are making her dizzy. She wants to devour him whole. 

 

When she nips at his bottom lip, his long fingers dig forcefully into her flesh, and she whimpers into his mouth.

 

Loki pulls back ever so slightly, releasing her from his grip and attempts to catch his breath. "Forgive me, Shuri. I didn't intend to-"

 

"Don't apologize." She shakes her head ever so slightly and places a finger to his lips. "Perhaps I liked it." He drops his head for a moment, chuckling at his own words repeated back to him.

 

"Ah Princess, you're going to be the death of me." His own grin lights up his handsome face. He reaches out again to grab her hand and she pulls him into a brief hug. "Thank you for a lovely day,” he murmurs.

 

She hums as they separate once again and punches the code into the wall to open the door. "Four more days?" she asks.

 

He nods, "We have to be back in Norway by Thursday evening."

 

"I'll call you."

 

"I eagerly await your call." He bows dramatically, still grinning as she giggles and leans against the wall to watch him walk out of the compound. Once he's climbed into his vehicle and driven away, Shuri closes and secures the door. She presses her lips together tightly, smiling all the way back to her room.

 

*

*

*

 

The wind whips at his face. It whistles in his ears, and he closes his eyes, trying to forget.

 

Tony hasn't had a nightmare in a long time. He can't even completely remember what this one was about. Snippets of his mother’s voice come back to him. She was trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t understand. Then there was cold and darkness, and he was falling through that damn wormhole. But this time, Bruce didn't catch him. He just falls and falls and falls...

 

He opens his eyes.

 

The chilly night air sobers him as he stands on the roof overlooking the grounds. He can hardly see the stars. Even though it was years ago, it still unsettles him to look up into the night sky.

 

Remembering the Chitauri incident only leads him to thinking of Loki, and then he’s down the rabbit hole into dangerous thoughts of one Wakandan princess.

 

Aside from the night of his party, Tony has cut down on his drinking considerably in the last two years. He still feels great for his age, but he knows that that will catch up to him eventually, and he can’t afford to fire on half of his cylinders. But after that tense dinner and that dream... yeah, he needs a drink.

 

He’s leaning against the cement wall, finishing his third glass of whiskey when the door to the roof opens. At first, he stays still, hoping, praying that whoever has come up here won’t disturb him. When the graceful figure steps out of the shadows, he realizes what a foolish wish that was.

 

He just wants to catch a break every _once_ in a while, is that so much to ask?

 

The corner he’s hiding in is dark, but her feline-like eyes catch him almost immediately. They stare at each other for a moment. 

 

“I promise I won’t bother you. I just need some air.” Her voice is thick with sleep and, he thinks, tears. His gut clenches at that and he simply nods, turning back to look out at the dark horizon.

 

Shuri silently pads over to the edge of the roof in her shorts and tank. Tony watches her out of the corner of his eye as she turns, leaning back against the ledge, eyes closed. Her long braids flutter about in the wind, and she looks like a dream - skin glowing with moonlight, head tilted back, full lips parted. He observes the movement of her chest as she inhales deeply. Her body relaxes, and she seems to be mumbling something to herself. From this distance, he can’t quite make it out. 

 

A large gust of wind comes roaring past, and the movement is slight, but Tony catches it; she’s shivering.

 

He pinches the bridge of his nose, knowing how much of a prick he would be to just stand here staring while she freezes half to death.

 

Draining his glass, he sets it down on his abandoned lawn chair and grabs the thick blanket. It’s faded, and practically ancient but he’s had it since college, since Maria sent it off with him that day, so many lifetimes ago.

 

Shuri must be deep in thought, because she doesn’t hear him approach. When Tony gets about four feet away, he clears his throat, waits for her eyes to slowly open and focus on his.

 

She glances down to the blanket in his hand, and an involuntary shudder rolls through her.

 

Arching a brow, she crosses her arms. “And what are you planning to do with that?” Freezing her ass off and she’s still stubborn as hell. Tony almost wants to laugh, but he thinks that would just piss her off. He doesn’t need that temptation right now.

 

“Just thought you could use it, Your Highness. You’re over here shivering like a wet cat, so...” He can’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. She rolls her eyes and huffs, but then reaches out to take the blanket.

 

“Thank you,” she mutters. She averts her gaze, but not before Tony can spot the lone tear that spills over and rolls down her cheek.

 

_Turn around, Stark, you don’t need to get involved._

 

As she wraps the warm blanket around her small shoulders and sniffs the faded fabric, her eyes slip shut again. She hums.

 

It's time for him to go. He's had enough interaction for one night.

 

"How do you deal with them?"

 

His back is to her, but he stops. Damn it.

 

"Deal with what?" He's itching to get off this roof, away from her. But the pull is strong, and he doesn't know if it's recent events, or the alcohol, or maybe he's just getting weaker. Whatever the reason, Tony finds he can't walk away.

 

Her response is so quiet, he barely hears it. "The nightmares."

 

Immediately, he turns his head to gaze at her. His heart slams to a halt. Her dark eyes are filled with something he's never seen in them before: pain. His heart cracks a little then, and he sighs. "How long?"

 

She shrugs her shoulders beneath the blanket. "I haven't had one in a while. Not since T'Challa nearly died, not since _I_ nearly... Tonight was the first one in a long time. But this one was about Baba." Her voice breaks, and she leans back further against the wall.

 

Ah. There's something about losing a parent, especially the way she lost hers. The way Tony lost both of his. It's a unique pain they both know all too well. For once, he drops the shield he's put up between them. His feet carry him forward to stand next to her. They don't look at each other as he leans his forearms on the ledge. He drops his head, searching for the right words. How can he answer a question he doesn't quite have the answer to himself?

 

Another strong breeze blows by, and the cold seeps into his bones.

 

"Does it ever stop hurting?"

 

"When I find out, I'll let you know," he answers bitterly. "It gets easier. Never goes away, though." Flashes of his own nightmare come back as he confesses to her, to this strong, vulnerable, terrifying woman beside him who is everything he isn't. But he can't stop the words as they tumble out. "I miss her every day."

 

He senses her hesitation before she asks her next question. "What about your father?" 

 

A deep sigh leaves his chest. "Our relationship was... complicated. I idolized him as a kid, but he was always too busy working or shipping me off somewhere. He never once told me he loved me." He pauses, mind drifting to that day in his lab that he went through his father's notes and discovered the filmed message hidden in those old tapes. "Few years ago, I found something he left for me, and it was like discovering a completely different person. Made me wish I had gotten _that_ Howard Stark growing up. He had his demons. But he was my dad." 

 

Shuri nods. "I never got to say goodbye to him. Logically. I know there's nothing I could have done, and I've gone through all the therapy, learned all the 'proper' coping mechanisms. Sometimes it just hurts so much not to have him here. All I have left is dreams and memories."

 

Tony's eyes move of their own volition, and he takes in the heartbreaking sight of her beautiful face shining with tears. Slender hands angrily swipe at her cheeks as she turns away. His fingers twitch. He wishes so badly that he could draw out all of her pain, absorb it into himself. He can't. He shouldn't even be standing here right now, almost as near as he was the other night on that dance floor. 

 

Her shoulders start to tremble, and he hears a sniffle. 

 

Shit. 

 

Without thinking, Tony gently grabs her elbow, turning her to face him. Shuri looks up, stunned at first.

 

Then she's wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her face into his shoulder. He doesn't move for several seconds. She's so soft and warm against him. The muffled sobs wrack her small body, and he wonders how long it's been since she's let go like this. He holds her through it, trying desperately not to get wrapped up in her soothing, floral scent. 

 

It shouldn't be him up here comforting her. He's a greedy, lecherous old man who wants things he shouldn't. If she knew the dreams he's had about _her_ , she would probably gut him on the spot. He's made every attempt to keep his distance, push her away. And then he thinks of the other night, of this moment right now, and he knows he isn't trying hard enough.

 

His shirt is soaked through with her tears, but he couldn't care less. They stay like that for an endless stretch of time. He doesn't move an inch. 

 

Eventually, her crying subsides, and her body sags.

 

"I'm sorry," she mumbles against him.

 

With no warning, shimmering brown eyes look up into his. Her face is closer than expected. Tony's breathing grows shallow. Her warm fingers grip his shirt at his back, and he has to stifle a groan. His head is swimming at her proximity. Time is suspended as he watches her slowly lick her lips. He doesn't realize his own fingers have tightened around her waist until her breath hitches, and all the blood shoots down below his waist.

 

That snaps him out of it.

 

Tony is pulling away before he has a chance to do something truly stupid. He backs up a few paces, clenching his hands into fists as he turns away from her bewildered expression.

 

His body is instantly aware of the loss of her warmth, and he suppresses a shiver. "It's late, kid. You should go back to bed." It's quiet for a long minute, and he silently prays she isn't crying again, because he doesn't know if he can walk away from her then. When he turns around, she's still clutching the blanket. Her face is impassive.

 

"Right." The ice in her tone seizes him, and he can't breathe. 

 

Shuri strides toward him then, unwrapping the blanket from her body and pushing it into his chest. He barely catches it. 

 

She pulls open the door and descends the stairs out of sight without a backward glance. 

 

Tony exhales, running a hand through his short locks. He's still clutching the blanket when he makes it back to his room. Bringing it to his nose, he inhales deeply. His eyes close and he groans in frustration.

 

The soft, worn fabric smells like Shuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Tony. Lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Things are about to get more interesting from here! Thank you so much for sticking around :) Please let me know what you think! Kudos and comments are always very much appreciated! <3


	3. Off the Wagon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up until now, he thought he still had control.

Two days.

 

Tony has been gone for two days, with barely a word to anyone.

 

She hardly sees him around normally, so she doesn't notice until Wednesday morning, while overhearing Steve and Bruce talk about him taking an "unplanned trip". After embarrassing herself the other night on the roof with him, she's glad he's not here to rub her nose in it. 

 

Shuri is working in the lab, when she decides to take a break.

 

“Hello, dearest.” She can hear him smiling over the phone. “I was worried I wouldn’t hear from you before leaving.”

 

She scoffs. “Do you think so little of me, Loki?”

 

His chuckle is warm and mischievous. “If only you knew the thoughts I have of you, sweet Princess.” That sends a tingle down her spine, and their kiss from the other night comes back to her. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Such a flatterer.

 

“Well,” she says, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, “I just wanted to thank you again for coming over the other day to train with me. I’m sure you didn’t plan on spending part of your trip getting bumps and bruises.”

 

“It was my pleasure. I haven’t had that much fun sparring in quite a while.” 

 

It's her turn to chuckle, recalling the glint in his eye as she pinned him to the floor that last round.

 

“How are you today?” he asks, and Shuri knows he’s referring to more than her physical condition. While neither of them have mentioned it, Loki was well aware of Tony’s behavior during dinner on Sunday night.

 

She still doesn’t really know what his problem was. It’s not like it was _her_ fault they ended up dancing together at his party. They had both been buzzed (him, likely more so), and the floor was crowded and dim. If anything, it’s Tony’s fault; she’s sure she hadn’t strayed that far from her friends, and as far as she knew, he had been practically on the other side of the room after his obnoxious little intro.

 

No matter. At this point, Shuri has convinced herself the whole thing was a drunken mishap. Then her mind drifts to their encounter on the roof, and her face grows hot with anger. At herself, at him. He refuses to treat her like a normal human being, always cruelly riling her up then brushing her off, when he's almost annoyingly affectionate with everyone else on the team.

 

She remembers Loki is on the other end. She lies.

 

“I'm fine. You?”

 

“Quite bored, actually. Hilde’s run off to who-knows-where, and Thor is at the cinema, of all places.”

 

That draws a giggle from her, and she's amused at how utterly weary he sounds. “How awful. You poor thing.”

 

“Yes, well, perhaps that could be remedied...”

 

“And what exactly did you have in mind?” 

 

“How would you like to accompany me to dinner this evening? Say... 8:30?”

Maybe getting out for a while will take her mind off things. She nods, despite the fact that he can’t see her. “I’d love to.”

 

*

*

*

 

Black really is Loki's color. Wearing an outfit similar to the one from the night of Tony's party, he is rather dashing as he escorts her out of the busy sushi restaurant. 

 

"Where to next, darling?"

 

She is positively stuffed from all the food, but somehow still craves dessert.

 

Shuri pretends to ponder for one second before answering, "I could really go for something sweet?"

 

Loki looks as if he wants to say something cheeky, but refrains when she narrows her eyes.

 

"As you wish,” he chuckles. “Where shall we go?"

 

 

Of all the amazing food available in the surrounding area, Shuri has a taste for her new favorite American treat. 

 

Unable to decide on just one flavor of Ben & Jerry’s, she now places four different cartons into the freezer, leaving one out to soften a bit.

 

It's late. After spending time walking around the city and talking, they stopped by the store, then headed back to the compound to enjoy their after-dinner snack.

 

“What’s your favorite flavor?”

 

Shuri smirks at the question, looking over her shoulder as she closes the freezer door. 

 

"It depends on the day, I suppose."

 

His long, pale fingers pick up the small carton she's left out to examine it. "Brownie Batter Core?" He arches a brow.

 

Shuri suppresses a giggle. "I take it you've never had that one."

 

"Actually, no." Loki shrugs. "Ice cream is one delicacy I have yet to try."

 

"Seriously? Well then, we need to fix that immediately," she says lowly. His eyes flicker up to hers. 

 

All he can do is stare as she takes the container from his hand, gaze never leaving his. Turning, she grabs a large spoon from the silverware drawer and pries open the lid. The ice cream isn't as melted as she wants, but it will do. 

 

Shuri digs in, making sure to get a good chunk of brownie batter. As she turns back around to face Loki, she places the tip of the spoon to her lips for a taste. It's exactly what she was craving. The rich chocolate and cool vanilla awaken her tastebuds. Her eyes slip shut as she licks her lips, moaning at the sweetness.

 

When she opens her eyes again, Loki is still watching her. She holds the spoon out to him. "Want a taste?"

 

He's in front of her in a flash. Eyes clouded, he leans in, both arms caging her against the counter in the dark kitchen. Her gaze is transfixed on his lips as they part, slowly drawing the spoon into his mouth. The sound he makes when the flavor hits his tongue is sinful, and she squirms at the wetness that pools between her thighs. 

 

To add insult to injury, he curls his mouth into a knowing grin, then methodically licks the spoon clean. Bastard.

 

"Do you want more?" Her voice is barely a whisper, and she silently curses herself. She's not supposed to be getting all flustered. 

 

But her heart pounds in her chest, and the kitchen is suddenly a hundred degrees when his lips graze her ear. " _So_ much more, sweet girl." 

 

Shuri barely recognizes the gasp that leaves her throat. All of her focus is on the sensation of his breath against her neck. When his tongue flicks out to taste the skin just below her jaw, the spoon slips from her fingers, loudly clattering to the floor. Neither of them could care less. Everyone is tucked away for the night, and the chances anyone’s heard that are slim. Either way, they’re too wrapped up in each other to truly be concerned.

 

She closes her eyes as Loki brings a hand to her waist, lightly caressing the fabric of her dress. He peppers slow, deliberate kisses on her face and jaw, on one side, then the other. As his other hand grips her hip, her mind abruptly flashes back to Saturday night. The memory of warm, calloused hands and fiery hazel eyes startles her, and her own eyes fly open.

 

What the hell? 

 

No, no, no. He doesn’t get to ruin this, too.

 

And then all thoughts of _him_ are banished when sharp teeth nip at her earlobe.

 

“Loki,” she gasps. His answering groan is enough to snap her out of her haze. Her hands come up to his face, dragging his lips to hers. They taste even more delicious than the last time. Where their first kiss was gentle, tentative, this one is strong and sure. Her lips part on a gasp, allowing his tongue to slide against hers. The dance is erotic, and she doesn’t even care that she can barely breathe anymore. All she wants right now is him, surrounding her, inside her.

 

Her fingers have slipped into his silky tresses, and the small tug she gives forces his head back. He grunts, then grins, chuckling deeply as they both gulp in air. “What do you want?” he asks breathlessly.

 

One large hand has slid down to knead her bottom, pressing her groin into his. She slowly pushes into him, trembling at the weight of his hardened length against her belly.

 

“You.”

 

That’s all it takes. 

 

His eyes are no longer playful, but clear, focused. Loki lifts her easily up onto the counter top as though she were made of air, but he kisses her fiercely, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, then licking her top lip. He moans, even more obscenely than when he tasted the ice cream, and her panties are officially ruined now.

 

She leans back on her hands and stares into him, licking her lips as his eyes roam all over her. Parting her legs, she arches a brow. "Touch me."

 

Loki grins. Forehead pressed against hers, he reaches underneath her dress, caressing the skin of her thighs before he rubs the fabric covering her slit. “You’re dripping,” he groans, and he almost sounds in pain. 

 

Shuri tilts her head back, arching into his hand. His touch is light, barely there as he brushes against the damp lace. But her clit throbs and her heart races with the flood of arousal that's overtaken her.

 

“Loki, _please_.” 

 

His fingers stop their ministrations, and she wants to cry at the loss. Then he’s pulling at the waistband of her little underwear. She lifts her hips, helping to slide them down. His hands run up and down her legs, tickling, massaging. Wet kisses grace her neck and chest as he gradually moves his hand higher. 

 

Then he pushes a long digit between her folds, and her walls contract. She exhales sharply. His other hand glides further up, pushing her dress to her waist to hold her steady, but his eyes are focused on the movement of his fingers between her legs. “Exquisite,” he utters.

 

Shuri grips his hair with both hands, and he scrapes his teeth against her throat. One finger circles the area just around her bundle of nerves. She wants to scream. 

 

But Wanda’s room is just down the hall, and Shuri refuses to invite any interruptions. It’s been so long since she’s done anything like this, and then only a handful of times, at that.

 

She’s whimpering now, and Loki sounds equally as enthusiastic as he moans and grunts, devouring her lips as his fingers tease at her entrance. Her hips buck forward when he slides two long digits inside of her, carefully stroking her inner walls until he finds the right spot.

 

“ _Shit_ ,” Shuri hisses. She thinks she may hear a chuckle in her ear, but she’s distracted by the steady pumping of his fingers as his thumb rubs her clit with the perfect amount of pressure. She knows she’s making a mess on the counter, but who really _cares_ right now, when his fingers are doing _that_. The pressure is building as her hips rock frantically against him. She’s so, so close and she winds tighter, tighter, tighter, until she snaps. She shudders and contracts around his fingers, lips closed tight to try and muffle the cry that wants to escape. He strokes her until her legs release their hold around him, before slowly withdrawing. 

 

Loki is watching her intently when she looks to him. He sucks a finger into his mouth and hums. “So much better than ice cream,” he muses, before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “How are you?” His voice is low, tone concerned and gentle, and it endears him to her even more. 

 

“Not finished with you yet," she pants.

 

His nostrils flare at the intensity in her eyes, and their lips are crashing together again. As they nip and lick, Shuri frantically reaches for his belt. He takes the cue.

 

His pants are just barely pulled down when she reaches in, hand gripping his cock, and she nearly whimpers at how hard he is. 

 

Suddenly, both hands grip her waist tightly. Loki jerks her to the edge of the counter, right against his erection, and her whimper turns into a desperate moan.

 

“What the _fuck_?”

 

They jump, startled at the familiar voice in the now lit entryway, and Loki moves to cover her from the prying eyes that bore into them.

 

How? _How_ can this be happening? 

 

Shuri's blood runs cold as she looks into the bewildered gaze of one Tony Stark.

 

*

*

*

 

Tony is numb. His brain refuses to comprehend what he's seeing, but he's rooted to the spot, overnight bag still in hand as he struggles to put it together.

 

She moans, long and loud and sweet, and the sound coils around his brain. Her face is screwed up so beautifully as she wraps around _him_.

 

What the _fuck_?

 

He doesn't notice he's said it aloud until they flinch and Loki turns, making sure to block her from his view.

 

Tony has to swallow down the growl clawing its way up his throat, but he does little else to quell the quiet rage that spreads through him.

 

They hurriedly straighten themselves up. Tony can't seem to look away.

 

"Is there something I can help you with, Stark?" Loki's voice is brimming with irritation. That only pisses Tony off further.

 

For once, he's speechless. Three days away to clear his head, to come back to himself, and it's all undone the second he walks back through the door. He knew there was something between the two of them. It's another thing entirely to witness her writhing and moaning (the way she does in his fantasies) for another man. 

 

Up until now, Tony thought he still had control.

 

Sure, the last several days had been a series of slips on his part, but nothing he couldn't come back from. His little impromptu vacation had helped put things in perspective so he could reel this in.

 

Or so he thought.

 

Before he can move, the two of them are rushing to push past him, presumably to get to Shuri's room. Tony doesn't know what comes over him. His hand shoots out just as Loki is brushing by, stopping the other man with a palm to the chest.

 

"Hang back a sec." It isn't a request. Burning amber stares into frigid blue and, for a split second, they're all still.

 

" _Anthony_." Her voice is quiet and commanding. There's a warning there, but something about the way she says his _whole_ first name centers him just enough to remember to breathe. When he looks to Shuri, her eyes plead with him. For what, he can only guess.

 

He doesn't get a chance to answer her. Loki gently places a hand to the small of her back and nods. "It’s alright, Princess. I'll catch up with you." They stare at each other. Shuri narrows her eyes, first at Loki, then Tony. She sighs after a moment, before reluctantly disappearing down the hallway, sharp gaze lingering on Tony.

 

"You have two minutes, Stark."

 

Tony slowly turns his head back to the man before him.

 

"Sit."

 

To his surprise, Loki turns and walks back into the kitchen without protest. Instead of sitting, however, he leans against the island, back facing the very spot where he and Shuri were just...

 

"What do you want?"

 

Tony does growl now. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

 

Loki's eyebrows raise in indignation. "I don't believe that's any of your business. The Princess invited me as her guest, and I didn't think I needed permission to be here. Not anymore."

 

"Don't be a smartass. What are you doing with _her_?"

 

"Again - none of your concern. Are we done here?" He pushes off from the counter, but Tony moves directly in front of him.

 

"She's a kid, Loki. And the King of Wakanda's baby sister. How do you think he'd react if he found out I was letting you-"

 

" _Letting_ me?" Loki laughs bitterly. "You are definitely overstepping your bounds. You're not _letting_ me do anything. Last I checked, Shuri was a fully grown woman who can do as she pleases." He's drawn up to his full height now, but Tony doesn't give two shits. He glares up into the other man's eyes, daring him to make a move. "Why are you suddenly so concerned for her? Your behavior has never been anything but distant and, frankly, rather rude toward someone who deserves the exact opposite. What exactly are you worried about?"

 

Loki's tone is accusatory. Tony balls his hands into fists, and he's struggling to keep them at his sides. "How I interact with _my_ team is none of your concern. But it is _very_ much my business what goes on here, because I'm responsible for the safety of each and every one of these people. Don't think that one little mission suddenly makes you an honorary Avenger. And from what I saw a few minutes ago, you don't deserve to be. If I hadn't come in, you would've fucked her right there on the counter like some-"

 

"Take care with your next words, Stark."

 

Tony thinks his jaw might actually snap in half. "You're not gonna come in here and take advantage of her. She may trust you, but I don't." Loki scoffs. "Regardless of what you think of my 'behavior', Shuri is important to this team-"

 

"And to you."

 

All the air leaves his lungs, and whatever Tony was going to say flies right out of his mind. _Now_ who's overstepping their bounds?

 

Tony knows he only has himself to blame. He's always been messy. Why should it be any different when it comes to her?

 

But he can barely admit the truth to himself. No fucking way is he spilling his guts to Loki of Asgard, reformed war criminal and royal pain in the ass.

 

So he does the only thing he knows how to do. He deflects.

 

"She's an _asset_. And she doesn't need distractions. The team can't afford it." He levels a gaze at Loki, hoping the other man will heed the quiet menace in his voice and kindly fuck off.

 

Tony never did have much luck with getting what he wants.

 

"You can't hold her at arm's length _and_ keep her for yourself. You're going to have to choose. It appears she's already choosing for _herself_." And it's definitely a taunt. Tony thinks that he may detect the slightest hint of a smirk on the taller man's sharp features. That only drags him closer to the edge of his sanity. Tony's eyes flash and the dangerous chuckle that leaves his lips unsettles even himself.

 

"You have no idea what you're talking about," he sneers, desperately clinging to some semblance of self-control, trying to throw Loki off his scent.

 

Icy blue pierces Tony as if he can see straight through the deception. He knows from talking to Brunhilde that Loki has the ability to read the memories of others from a simple touch. While they are still a foot apart, Tony would swear those long fingers are gripping the innermost parts of him, digging and prying him wide open.

 

Then, Loki's voice slithers into his ears. His words drain Tony’s face of blood.

 

“Perhaps we should test that, hm?”

 

Before he can draw another breath, Tony’s head is nearly thrown back from the force of the attack.

 

Loki’s cool hand practically fuses to his forehead. A pulse of what feels like static electricity runs down the entire length of his being, and then he’s assailed by the thoughts and memories. 

 

They flash before his eyes at blinding speed, but he feels each and every one as fresh as though he were reliving them. And Tony can also sense something at the periphery, pushing ever so slightly, tingling on the edges of his mind. 

 

Loki sees, hears, _feels_ it all.

 

By the time Tony can even react, it’s done.

 

They break apart. Tony stumbles back and reaches for one of the bar stools to steady himself. Loki is panting with the effort of what he's just done. The asshole has the audacity to grin at Tony, and it's far too smug.

 

"Oh my," Loki says, voice low and chilling. "You are _far_ more pathetic and depraved than I ever gave you credit for, Tony Stark."

 

Tony gapes at the other man, brain shorting out as he sluggishly tries to articulate some kind of defense. But Loki saw everything, from the jolt Tony felt when he first laid eyes on her to all the moments since - every errant thought, every wet dream, that night at the club. The hot arousal and then envy from just moments ago when he caught them in this very kitchen. All Tony can do is drop his gaze to the floor.

 

_"Dammit."_

 

"I have to give you credit. I couldn't _dream_ of some of the fantasies that lurk in your mind, there. That one with Shuri in-"

 

"Shut your _fucking_ mouth, Odinson." Before Tony knows what he's doing, his hand is around Loki’s throat as he pushes him against the island.

 

Loki laughs now, openly mocking him. "Poor, lovesick Tony Stark, pining away in silence like some sniveling school boy."

 

Tony sucks in a breath, then shakes his head absently. Lovesick. Is that what he is? No. This is infatuation - raw, animal urges and brain chemistry, simple as that. But Tony knows that’s a lie, even as the thought flickers across his brain.

 

Loki’s eyes widen, then. “You’re really _that_ in denial. You think you’re ‘protecting’ her this way...”

 

Tony releases his hold from around Loki’s neck. There's no use in lying now. His shoulders droop and his face is open, muscles fatigued from working so long and hard to conceal what he’s feeling. “I don’t want to hurt her.” And he hates how pitiful and defeated he sounds, but at this point, he's let his guard down completely. 

 

“Oh, I know _very_ well what you want from her. Let me make this clear for you - you don’t deserve a lick of it. And you know it. That’s why you’ve tried to keep your distance. Here’s some advice: try harder.”

 

Tony steps forward again, but Loki simply stares him down, expression infuriatingly blank. Whatever he sees in Tony's eyes then changes his expression, and Tony thinks he detects a hint of surprise, and maybe... worry?

 

But then it's gone. Loki straightens up, smoothing his clothes before he starts to walk toward the hallway. 

 

"You don’t tell Shuri a _thing_." Tony's skin breaks out in a fresh sweat as he contemplates what would happen if she had even a scrap of the information Loki has just stolen from his mind. 

 

Loki casually turns around to face him. "You needn't worry about that. It would be to my distinct benefit _not_ to tell her." His cryptic statement and arrogant grin set Tony even more on edge, if that's possible. And then just like that, Loki is gone.

 

Tony sinks down onto the nearby stool, head in his hands.

 

Fuck. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck._

 

*

*

*

 

Shuri hears footsteps. One of them is walking toward the doorway. She needs to move. On silent feet, she skitters all the way down to the end of the hall, turns left, and slips into her room.

 

Closing the door, she finds it difficult to concentrate on just one thought. What in Bast’s name did she just overhear?

 

Her hands shake as she blindly pulls down the zipper of her dress. The adrenaline is still pumping through her.

 

She wasn’t actually prepared to hear Tony and Loki arguing about _her_. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. Tony had just been so _livid_ , and then the way he looked at her when she said his name... her core clenches again as she thinks of it, and her cheeks burn. So maybe curiosity had gotten the better of her. 

 

And it had pissed her _off_ , him chastising Loki like they’re both teenagers, like she doesn’t know what she’s doing. _The bastard really can’t mind his own business. He just _has_ to butt in and make me as miserable as possible_, she thought as she edged closer to the doorway.

 

When she heard the small commotion and a sharp gasp, Shuri chanced a glance around the corner, only to find Loki’s hand pressed against Tony’s forehead, eyes intensely focused. She could guess what he was doing. For some reason, that unsettled her. The fact that Loki was using his powers to intrude on someone else’s mind - no, she didn’t like that.

 

Shuri wondered what he could possibly glean from Tony’s head about her. But then she had heard every single word that came after, and her heart thudded to a stop.

 

She wanted to think she misheard, or misunderstood. But she heard her name again, and it was like she was burning from the inside out. In that instant, it all clicked - the avoidance, the snide comments and jokes, the dance at the club, the other night on the roof.

 

Tony wants her? 

 

That can’t be it. 

 

Her mind wandered to the night his solid form was pressed against hers, fingers digging into her hips as they swayed in the dark to the music. It had felt more right than she was willing to admit at the time, his scent surrounding her, his breath on her neck. And Shuri realized she hadn’t really stopped thinking about it since that night. 

 

_"You needn't worry about that. It would be to my distinct benefit _not_ to tell her."_ Then she had run back to her room, before she could be found out. 

 

When the quiet knock sounds against her door, she starts. Now clad in her pajamas, she hops up from the bed to let him in.

 

"Forgive me. I didn't intend to keep you waiting." The charm drips from his lips, but she's too distracted by what she witnessed in the kitchen.

 

"Loki, what were you two talking about?" She eyes him suspiciously. 

 

He gives a slightly nervous chuckle and shakes his head. "Nothing of importance. You needn't worry over it."

 

"You're _sure_? There's nothing you want to tell me. Tony interrupts us in the middle of..." she huffs in frustration. "He pulls you aside to talk, looking ready to throttle us both, and it wasn't important?"

 

She has to give Loki credit. He shifts his expression without hesitation and vehemently denies that his conversation with Tony was anything other than a casual exchange. But he refuses to tell her what it was about, and that bothers her more than she expects.

 

"I apologize for that, by the way. “I should have been more careful.” He runs a hand through his tousled locks, and he does sound genuinely sorry.

 

That softens her a bit. “Loki,” she says, bringing a hand up to stroke his cheek. “You don’t need to be sorry. There’s no way you could have known he would show up.”

 

He turns his head into her palm, but his eyes stay on hers. They don’t speak for a moment, until she gently withdraws her hand. Her gaze drops to the floor then, and Loki clears his throat.

 

“Thank you for tonight. I mean, before...”

 

Shuri lifts her head, and a small smirk pulls at the corner of her mouth. “Thank _you_.” Before she can say anything else, a yawn overtakes her. She politely covers it with her hand, then smiles sheepishly up at the man before her. Something like sadness flashes across his face. In the next instant, it's gone.

 

"Always," he replies quietly. Loki grabs her chin with his thumb and forefinger and leans in, placing a sweet kiss to the corner of her mouth. The act is gentle, and apologetic somehow. She closes her eyes, sighing as he lingers there. Moving quickly, she turns her head to capture his lips fully for a brief moment. 

 

When he pulls away, he chuckles. "Rest, sweet Shuri. I'll call you tomorrow when we land." 

 

A twinge of disappointment runs through her. He's headed back to Norway in the morning, and she doesn't know when they'll be able to see each other again. But it's late, and whatever mood had been sparked between them was effectively dashed after Tony's abrupt entrance. That incident in itself has left her reeling, and she needs to be alone, to think.

 

"Let me walk you down first."

 

Loki smiles indulgently. "Alright, Princess." 

 

She can feel his eyes on her as she leads him out of her bedroom.

 

 

When Shuri wakes a few hours later with her hand between her thighs, right on the edge of climax, it doesn’t surprise her. She almost doesn’t realize that she isn’t dreaming anymore. But the hoarseness in her throat as she whimpers out his name feels too real to be a dream. She comes harder than she ever has from doing this, and her voice echoes in the silent bedroom. “ _Tony._ ”

 

*

*

*

 

At some point, he dozes off. Sometime after the seventh run-through of the whole thing in his head, he thinks, but who’s counting?

 

All Tony knows when he wakes up is that his back is _killing_ him and so are his knees, as he peels his eyelids open and straightens up in the chair. It's still quiet, so it must be early. His head tips back with the force of his yawn.

 

"FRIDAY, what time is it?"

 

"It’s currently 6:58 a.m., boss. Rise and shine."

 

Tony groans. "Yeah, thanks." He glances up at the mess on the desk in front of him and curses. He and Bruce are supposed to work on their project first thing this morning. Tony had wanted to get a head start. Going to bed was the last thing on his mind after his run-in with Loki the night before, so the lab had provided refuge. 

 

He regrets that now as he stands, joints and bones cracking and popping back into alignment. They’d agreed on eight o clock, so he has just enough time to shower and make it look he _hasn’t_ spent all night down here. Trudging to the back of the lab, Tony drags himself into the small full bath he had installed a while back for such occasions.

 

He tries keeping his mind blank while he showers. He really does. 

 

But the recent memory comes bleeding through his defenses anyway: stark white hands spreading her smooth, burnt umber thighs open, hips rolling as her dress bunches around her waist, mouth hanging open on a needy moan. When Tony slides a soapy hand along his length, he knows it won't take long. He squeezes, and pumps into his waiting fist, willing it to turn into her molten walls. Through the rush of the water, he can almost hear Shuri moaning his name, writhing on that counter while he fucks her within an inch of her life. _Anthony_. And as his hot, sticky seed spills over his hand and onto the wet tile, Tony chokes out a sob.

 

It was sheer luck that he interrupted them when he did. He had originally planned to come back in the morning, but something inside him burned and he heeded the urge to fly back from Miami early. At any rate, he had been bored. Tony had flown down there to get away. He couldn't remember the last time he'd taken a vacation, and there was plenty to get into in a place like that, where he could get this out of his system and shut his brain down. Of course, that had been a pipe dream. After walking through the front door and heading up to the kitchen for a snack, he slowed at the sound of hushed voices. No light was on, though, so he didn't expect to see what he saw. And then that a smug son-of-a-bitch had read his mind, invading his privacy. 

 

His heart races. It's bad enough that Loki now has intimate knowledge of the entirety of Tony's infatuation with Shuri, but he had the nerve to taunt him about it. 

 

_"You are far more pathetic and depraved than I ever gave you credit for... It would be to my distinct benefit _not_ to tell her."_

 

What had he meant by that? Tony is disgusted at _himself_ for lusting after a sheltered young woman half his age; there's no way Loki wouldn't use that information to his advantage. Unless...

 

Nope. That can't be it. Not a good idea to go there. But a smirk finds its way onto Tony's weary face at the notion that he effectively cock-blocked the bastard; he had heard Loki leave, _very_ shortly after their little tête-à-tête.

 

_Anthony_.

 

He shivers at the memory of his name on her tongue and her lingering gaze on his as she walked out of the kitchen.

 

By the time he's showered, brushed, dried, and dressed, it's five minutes to eight. Tony is pulling his t-shirt over his head when he strides out of the bathroom and back into the main part of the lab. When his head pops through the neck hole, he meets two sets of brown eyes. He only really cares about the one. Her startled gaze follows the path of his fingers as he tugs the hem of his shirt down his chest and stomach. 

 

"Oh hey, Tony! I hope you don't mind. Shuri was on the way down to work on her research, and I thought I'd snag her to pick her brain." Bruce is way too chipper for 8 a.m. on a Thursday, but he always was a morning person. It doesn't irk Tony much; he actually finds it endearing. Right now, though, all he focuses on is the motion of her tongue as it swipes across her lips. If Tony was a fool, he would think she just looked him up and down. 

 

"I don't think he wants my help, Bruce. _Do_ you, Anthony?"

 

Tony sucks in a breath and then promptly coughs. Like a fool. The shower was supposed to take the edge off, but here he is, half-hard again while he chokes on his own spit because a pretty girl with a breathy voice said his name. 

 

(Not just a pretty girl, and not just any voice. This one. Only her.)

 

"Aw, I'm sure that isn't true, is it?" Bruce says as he narrows his eyes at Tony and all but growls. Since the day she walked in the door, Bruce had been taken with Shuri, almost doting on her like an older brother. The doctor noticed Tony's treatment of the Princess and even confronted Tony about it early on, when she first moved into the compound. But Tony had given some lame excuse about being crusty with everyone, and Bruce had (mostly) backed off.

 

Pinching the bridge of his nose now, Tony takes a deep breath and resists the urge to fall back on sarcasm. "Whaddya got, kid?"

 

Shuri sighs deeply. But when Tony looks up again, her expression is neutral. "Show me what you have so far. Bruce only told me a bit." Her open smile for the man standing next to her warms Tony's chest, but it also sparks a twinge of envy, and he stifles it before it can show on his face.

 

 

She's brilliant. That goes without saying, but Tony has spent so much of her time here avoiding her that he's rarely exposed to the beauty of her mind. Bruce throws him a look or two throughout the morning as the three of them work, running through calculations, fixing formulas, reworking code. Tony finds they all actually make a good team. For once, he lets himself shut up and enjoy the moment.

 

It isn't until they hit another snag that his blood pressure starts to rise again.

 

As little actual time as he's spent with Shuri outside of working in the field, Tony has somehow still managed to catalogue minute details about her. She has this habit of rubbing the roof of her mouth with her tongue, lips slightly parted, when she's really concentrating. Bruce is on the other side of the room, surrounded by holos as he tries to decipher where they’re going wrong. Tony is standing near Shuri, running a simulation on one of the computers when he hears it.

 

Her voice is low as she hums thoughtfully. He feels it all the way in his bones, and his eyes flit over to her before he can stop himself. She's leaned over, face inches from the screen and forearms glued to the desk while she studies the algorithm for their AI. A tiny crease forms in her brow. Tony can detect the motion of her tongue stroking back and forth, back and forth. His eyes track down the length of her legs (she's wearing a skirt again, this one rust-colored with gold stitching), when her bent leg starts to move.

 

She's rapidly tapping her heel against the floor, and the action causes movement that Tony swears is going to give him a heart attack. She doesn't even realize she's doing it. 

 

"Fuck," Tony mutters under his breath.

 

Shuri glances up then, a curious look in her eyes. "Did you say something?"

 

Tony is sure he flushes all the way up his ears and down his chest. “Uh, just the calculations on this. Frustrating.” He holds his breath when she tilts her head.

 

“Come take a look at this,” she says after a moment, and she stands up straighter.

 

He walks over to the computer and switches his attention to the screen, careful not to get too close as he leans against the desk.

 

“Now see, we need to get from here,” Shuri murmurs as she taps a point on the far corner of the glass, “to here.” Abruptly, she steps into his space while reaching to the other side of the large screen. She pushes directly in front of him. When her backside makes contact with his front, Tony freezes. He gets deja vu of the last time he was in the lab with her. But something about this is different. For a second, it feels like she deliberately presses back, and she doesn’t jump away. At least not immediately. 

 

All of his blood is currently flooding his groin, and Tony lets out a low hiss. She definitely hears that. 

 

Shuri quickly steps aside, but not before Tony catches the hitch in her breath. He shifts on his feet, praying she won’t look down as he tries _so_ hard to think of something other than the scent of her hair from just a second ago, or the way his fingers brushed against the back of her leg when she slid in front of him.

 

“My apologies,” she mumbles. Oddly enough, she doesn’t look the least bit sorry. Her dark eyes drop below his waist and then back up to his, and he thinks her mouth quirks up. She turns before he can really say for sure, when Bruce calls her over for a question.

 

Tony remembers to breathe once there’s distance between them, and he absently rubs his lips. In the corner of his eye, he can see them talking animatedly and messing with the holos. He does his best to focus on the equation in front of him. 

 

His skin prickles all over when he feels Shuri’s eyes on his back. Turning around, Tony catches her just before she drags her gaze back to their work. The brief look she gives him could burn him alive, and he knows he’s off the deep end now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking so long to get this up! Please feel free to leave kudos and/or comments (I always appreciate them)! Thank you VERY much for reading! <3


	4. Deeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without warning, she's stepping into his personal space, and he's struck dumb by the sweet, almost tropical scent of her. "It's not what, Tony?" Her voice sends a shiver through him. "You always seem to find some way to avoid me, or chastise me, or remind me of how young I am. And then the other night..." She cocks her head. "Have I done something wrong?"

It’s easier than Shuri thought it would be to come around to the idea.

 

He’s less antagonistic than skittish around her now, and she nearly wants to scoff at the absurdity of it all. Tony Stark - billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, superhero, grown man - is _scared_ of her. 

 

After overhearing his argument with Loki the other night, she realizes it was his (apparently) intense attraction to her that had sent him spiraling at their first meeting. The extent of that attraction is still a mystery to her. He has yet to be anything but generically cordial since that night, and that's only when he's not completely aloof. She gets snatches here and there, though; a glance, or a shift in body language that tells her he's trying not to let on how she affects him. 

 

In retrospect, she kicks herself for missing the cues. She can't remember the last time she had so thoroughly misread someone. He was just _so_ condescending when she first arrived. Her initial excitement at meeting Tony and the rest of the team quickly dissolved into confusion, then anger when she saw those warm cognac eyes scrutinizing her, his sharp tongue lashing out. 

 

But there is something about him. Not the money, or the persona, or the suit, even. 

 

Never in a million years did Shuri think she would ever meet the man, let alone work with him. When T’Challa had returned home bearing a strange white man missing one arm claiming to need her help, and another man that she knew to be Steve Rogers, she’d been intrigued, to say the least. Bucky Barnes looked as though the demons on his back were still whispering in his ear as he stepped into the chamber, and she wondered just what her brother had brought to their doorstep.

 

The last, lingering, curious gaze of The Winter Soldier before he slipped into cryo sleep tugged at her heart in a way she hadn’t expected.

 

Then she’d overheard the Captain and T’Challa quietly whispering, something about the Accords, and Zemo, and Stark, and her ears perked up. 

 

What was it about the notion of that man that intrigued her so? And what exactly transpired that had broken up the Avengers and brought such a forlorn Captain America to Wakanda?

 

T’Challa wouldn’t give her much detail about his brief encounter with the team, so she had backed off. At any rate, her plate was full enough with her own projects and deadlines, and now this new puzzle to try to take apart and put back together. But she never stopped keeping tabs on the self-proclaimed mechanic with subdued interest, occasionally entertaining herself with daydreams of becoming the next Black Panther and fighting alongside the Avengers, like her brother, even as she made progress with Barnes.

 

Her mind drifts, and it doesn't smart nearly as much as she expected to think of Bucky now. 

 

Shuri rounds the bend on the far end of the property, looping back around toward the compound, and she shakes her head. She had been a silly girl back then. Wherever Bucky is now, she just hopes he is safe, happy. They had barely spoken before he left on his last mission with the Hatut Zeraze, and that was almost two years ago. 

 

After going over it a million times, there's no use in dwelling on it any longer. Time is a funny thing, and it has lessened the sting just enough.

 

She wipes the moisture from her brow and picks up the pace, surging forward to finish the last leg of her run, just as the sun is clearing the horizon. 

 

Another early morning after a restless night, and her body is thrumming with energy, as if she hasn't just spent the better part of an hour racing around the perimeter to try and clear her head. 

 

Her stomach growls just as she's done stretching and Shuri smirks. "Alright, alright," she mutters to herself. It's a grocery shopping day, but she may be able to find something to whip up for a quick breakfast.

 

Thankfully, she doesn't have to look too hard. Steve and Natasha are sat at the island, serving themselves from dishes filled with sausage and eggs and toast. If she's not mistaken, grits are cooking on the stove, and someone is rummaging around in the fridge when she enters the kitchen.

 

"You're up early," Steve mumbles around a mouthful.

 

"Such etiquette, Captain." An adorable flush creeps up from his neck to his hairline at Shuri's teasing, and he clears his throat. 

 

Natasha pats him on the back when he coughs, playfully rolling her eyes at Shuri. "Men. Can't take 'em anywhere." Shuri snorts, then giggles as she makes her way to the sink to wash her hands. "Speaking of which," the redhead continues, "how was your date the other night?"

 

Before Shuri can react, the refrigerator door slams shut, and she looks over her shoulder to find Tony trying not to stare directly at her. His hair is mussed, that cowlick on the side sticking up like he fell asleep in the lab again, and she bites the inside of her cheek to prevent a smirk. He mutters a "good morning" as he moves around her to grab a glass from the cabinet above, before reaching over to open the silverware drawer. 

 

Shuri simply nods in response, attempting to ignore the clench of her gut when his eyes briefly flit in her direction. 

 

"Date? Oh right, with Loki?" Steve asks.

 

Tony's low grunt is barely audible, but she catches it as he slides past her again to get to his seat at the kitchen table. His shoulder makes the barest contact with hers, and a chill runs down the length of her spine.

 

She turns around to throw Nat and Steve a tight smile. "It was good. Not too eventful; he went home kind of early." Her two friends don't seem to detect any falsehoods in her statement. Natasha nods, a small smile on her face.

 

"That's right, he had to go back to Norway. Is there going to be a second date?" She arches an eyebrow, and Shuri tilts her head, thoughtfully. Tony shifts in his seat behind Steve and Natasha, but he's pretending not to listen.

 

"I...don't know? It was nice, but we both have a lot going on, and I don't really know how that would work, with the distance. Plus, I've had a lot on my mind lately." Hazel eyes snap up to hers from the kitchen table. His gaze is curious, brow raised, eyes searching. 

 

Nat's voice pulls her attention away from him. "Oh?"

 

Shuri clears her throat and begins making herself a plate. "Just my research. And Bruce somehow managed to sweet talk me into helping him and Tony with their project as well, so my hands are pretty full." She resists the urge to wink at Tony as she walks around the island to sit next to Nat, just to see what he would do. Don't want to give the old man a heart attack. But when she slides onto the waiting stool and scoots her bottom backward, arching her spine ever-so-slightly, she doesn't need to look behind her to know his burning gaze is fixed on her.

 

Steve arches a brow in surprise and turns in his seat. "Really? If the three of you are actually working together now, we're all in trouble." 

 

Tony snorts. "Kiss my ass, Cap." 

 

Steve laughs, and then the conversation shifts to who's turn it is to do the shopping while they eat. 

 

Shuri offers to grab everyone else's dishes when she stands to take her leave to shower, but Steve waves her off. "Go ahead, I’ll get it. Thank you, though." 

 

"Okay." Then, before she walks out to the hallway, "Tony, don't forget to send me your list for the store, too. Or...you can come with, since it's your night to make dinner?"

 

To Tony's credit, he doesn't miss a beat, but she sees the shock in his eyes at her invitation. "Um, thanks, Shuri, but Bruce needs me down in the lab. I'll just text it to you." He looks as though he wants to say something else, but she isn't sure. That's the first time she can remember hearing him say her name, and she certainly doesn't hate it. The way it slides off his tongue makes her pulse flutter as she stares back at him.

 

"Sure thing," she answers, and she can't help but bite her lip when his eyes trace over her from head to toe. She turns, then, anxious to get to her room and out from under Tony's heated stare.

 

*

*

*

 

"I don't know how she does it."

 

"Hm," Tony grunts. He's been running calculations for the last two hours, almost in a trance. He hardly hears Bruce approach.

 

"I was looking at her research, and I can barely wrap my head around it. She's really onto something, Tony." His friend's voice is filled with awe.

 

Eyes still on the screen in front of him, Tony nods absently. "Yeah, she's somethin' else," he mumbles.

 

If he were paying attention, he would see the way Bruce's eyebrows raise practically to his hairline. "Well that's a first. I don't think I've ever heard you come that close to complimenting Shuri."

 

Her name pulls Tony out of his haze, and he snaps his head up. "What?"

 

He doesn't miss the bemused smirk on Bruce's face. "What's goin' on with you lately?"

 

"You're gonna have to be more specific," he tries to joke, praying that the rapid thudding of his heart isn’t as loud as it feels.

 

Bruce crosses his arms and leans next to him, against the desk. "Tony," he sighs, "you've been distracted since your party. Even more so since you came back from your trip a couple days ago.” He takes off his glasses, and Tony’s heart clenches at the genuine concern in his friend’s eyes. “Everything okay?”

 

Scrubbing his face with his hand, he leans back in his chair. “Right as rain. Just tired.” It’s an effort to keep his tone neutral with those soft brown eyes searching him.

 

“Tony.” 

 

He sighs. “Really, I’m fine. Just trying to make progress on this.” That’s not the whole truth, and he suspects Bruce knows it, because his friend’s stare becomes more curious.

 

“Right. Well, your attitude toward Shuri has improved, so there’s that.”

 

Dammit.

 

“Has it?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Bruce deadpans.

 

“Well, she’s a good kid. She’s earned her place on the team, I figured it was time I stop bustin’ her balls.”

 

Bruce chuckles and shakes his head. “She’s going to literally murder you if you keep calling her that.”

 

Tony’s brow furrows. “What - ‘kid’? I’ve been shaving longer than she’s been alive, I think it fits.” In all honesty, he calls her that to remind _himself_ that he has no business chasing after the Princess. Not to mention, she absolutely _hates_ the nickname, shoots him a look that could melt steel every time. And something in his twisted little mind secretly loves it.

 

Bruce eyes him suspiciously for a moment before pushing off from the desk. “Whatever. Just don’t expect me to save your ass when she rips your heart out with her bare hands the next time you call her that.”

 

Tony laughs dryly, because she’s pretty much done that already, and she hasn’t a clue. 

 

He doesn’t really know what to do with the recent shift in their dynamic. He’s still shaken from his run-in with Loki, but actually witnessing Shuri with someone else shot a spark through him that’s left his nerves frayed and his equilibrium off-balance.

 

And he can’t get her voice out of his head. _Anthony_. The morning after, in the lab - surrounded by her scent, watching her work - has him wound tighter than usual, and the more he’s around her, the more he feels like he’s slowly losing his mind.

 

“That reminds me,” Bruce says abruptly, “she sent me some notes I wanted to take a look at. Wanna run through ‘em after dinner?”

 

Dinner.

 

“Shit. What time is it?”

 

Bruce frowns, checking his watch. “Almost 5:45. Why?”

 

Standing up from his chair, Tony groans. “It’s my night to cook. And you know how fussy Wilson gets when dinner isn’t right at 7:30.”

 

That makes Bruce laugh, and he turns back to the holo he was working with a few minutes ago. "You'd better get upstairs, then. You know how long it takes you to make an omelet, let alone an entire dinner. I don't know why you don't just order out when it's your turn. You hate cooking."

 

The truth is, everyone knows Steve is the best chef out of the group. The best thing about Steve is also the worst thing about Steve; he's good at almost everything, but he can be a humble-bragging, smug son-of-a-bitch about it. And it's a running joke that Tony couldn't make toast if his life depended on it. As petty as it is, he refuses to simply give up and let Steve beat him at something that should be so simple. Thus far, the most complicated thing Tony's managed to whip up is pasta and burnt garlic bread.

 

"How you can make a fully functional, weaponized suit of armor out of literal scraps in a cave, but not an edible lasagna in a state-of-the-art kitchen is beyond me," Rhodey had joked once.

 

If he continues to cook for everyone out spite and downright stubbornness, so be it.

 

 

By the time Tony gets everything prepped, it's already 6:30. Everyone keeps filtering in and out, conspicuously spying to see what the hell he's up to. When Sam starts looking over his shoulder, cracking jokes about Kitchen Nightmares, Tony kicks everyone out, threatening to poison the food if they don't leave him alone.

 

"I think you're burning the sauce."

 

His stomach drops. He doesn't turn at first, choosing to focus on the pot in front him. "Not you, too," he mutters. 

 

Silence. And then, "Nevermind, I'll leave. I thought you might want some help, but..."

 

Tony sighs. What could it hurt? "Sorry, kid, I-" He turns in time to catch Shuri backing up to leave, and his mouth goes dry. She's barefoot. The smooth, dark expanse of her legs taunts him as his eyes run all the way up. Her high-waisted, black denim cutoffs look like they were made for her, and the crop top she wears fits just as well. Her braids are up in her signature twin buns, and she looks simultaneously so sexy and so adorable that he forgets what he was saying. 

 

When his eyes finally make it to her face, he audibly gulps. She arches an immaculate brow, and he can't tell if she's trying to undress him with her eyes or melt a hole through his idiot head. He clears his throat, but words refuse to come out when she steps closer, and when did he get so warm?

 

"So do you want my help, or are you going to stand there letting that pot boil over?"

 

"Shit!" Tony jerks back around and moves the saucepan off of the burner, stirring furiously to keep it from spilling out.

 

Shuri's stifled snicker distracts him, and he can't help but turn again. She's standing next to him now, leaned against the counter with her arms crossed. He flits his gaze up to the ceiling for a split second to steel his resolve, and then looks back to her sparkling brown eyes. "Fine, do your thing," he concedes, and she doesn't hide the mischievous smirk that curves her lips.

 

If Steve is the best cook on the team, Shuri is hands-down a close second. The first time it was her turn to make dinner, she stunned everyone. As talented as she is with everything she tries, no one expected the Princess of the wealthiest and most advanced nation in the world to know how to cook, and to be so skilled. Tony would never admit it, but he always looks forward to her night. She can make almost anything, but his favorite is when she prepares more traditional Wakandan dishes. Most of the time, he's in the lab when everyone else is gathered around the table, so she has no clue that he usually sneaks up after the compound is dark and quiet to finish off the leftovers.

 

"So I gotta ask," he says cautiously as she moves around him, completely oblivious to the way his breath stutters when she takes the spoon from his hand, brushing his fingers with hers. "Where'd you learn to cook?"

 

Shuri continues to work, and her low chuckle warms his chest. "Why? A spoiled little princess like me couldn't possibly know how to do anything herself?" Her tone is dripping with sarcasm, but when he looks up to her profile, she's smiling. "I'm messing with you, Stark. Season." She hands him a bowl of mixed spices and points to the chicken on the counter.

 

Something about the way she orders him around makes heat rise to his face, and he turns around before she can catch it. 

 

"My grandmother married into the royal family. She was from the River Tribe, and she learned how to cook from her mother. Her dream, before she met my grandfather, was to own her own restaurant. When they got married, she took charge of planning every banquet and event that the palace put on. Her culinary skills were legendary, and she taught my Baba how to cook when he was young. It was one of the things he loved most about his childhood, and he never forgot what she taught him." 

 

Her voice grows quiet as she reminisces. Tony simply listens, nodding as he waits for her to continue.

 

"Anyway, he caught me sneaking into the kitchen one night when I was about seven. I wanted to use one of the stoves for an experiment of mine. He told me the only way he would let me use it was if I agreed to make one dish with him. I never had much patience, especially as a child, so that sounded like torture to me." She laughs and shakes her head, caught up in the memory as she stirs the contents in the skillet. "I thought I would be bored out of my mind, but I loved it. It became sort of a tradition. He didn't have much time, but cooking together was something he tried to make time for. Usually late at night when I was supposed to be in bed. He had insomnia, and I was stubborn, so." Her shoulders raise in a tiny shrug.

 

She delicately clears her throat. When she looks up from the stove, she wears a sad, wistful smile. Tony doesn't realize how close he's gotten, but the cadence of her voice has captured his undivided attention.

 

"What?" When she speaks again, his eyes are drawn to the small splash of sauce at the corner of her mouth from her taste test.

 

"You have, um," he gestures to the same spot on his own mouth.

 

"Oh!" She slowly swipes her tongue out and laughs bashfully. "Thanks."

 

But he hardly hears her, and he wants to kick himself for being so dirty. Here she is opening up to him, of all people, and he's gaping like a horny teenager at the sight her tongue doing exactly what he wishes he could do.

 

"Now get a move-on, or you'll burn this batch of sauce, too," she orders playfully, and Tony is taken aback, because she's never openly joked with him before, and that stuns him nearly as much as her moment of vulnerability from a minute ago.

 

"Yes ma'am." He doesn't know where that comes from, but the low hum it elicits from her throat makes his blood pump even faster. He steps aside when she nudges him with her hip so she can check on the oven.

 

If she notices his eyes on her backside when she bends down, she doesn't let on. 

 

"Ahem."

 

Tony whips around to see an amused Sam Wilson standing in the doorway. "Look, y'all almost done or what? My muscles are startin' to catabolize, and I can't afford to lose mass in my thighs."

 

"Woah, that's a twenty dollar word, Wilson, how long did it take you took look that one up?" She spits out the retort without ever even glancing up from the stove, and Tony guffaws in surprise. 

 

Sam laughs good-naturedly and nods his head. "Alright, lil' bit, you got me."

 

" _Bast_ , Sammie, stop calling me that. It's almost as bad as Anthony calling me 'kid'."

 

Tony’s gut flip flops and he curses under his breath. The other two don’t catch it, though, as Shuri is too busy shooing a nosy Sam back out into the common area. 

 

“We’ll be ready in fifteen, so quit your whining and go wash your hands.” The cute little furrow in her brow softens when Sam shoots her an exaggerated wink, and Tony doesn’t realize he’s growled until the other man throws him a curious look and tilts his head.

 

“Fine, mom and dad, I’m goin’. Damn.” He backs out of the room, hands raised, irritating smirk still plastered on his handsome face.

 

Tony simply blinks at the remark, until she calls out to him.

 

“Focus up, eh? I think everything is done, and you’re not paying me for this, so grab some oven mitts.”

 

He never realized how much of a smartmouth she is, and he really shouldn’t be surprised. Internally, he groans. As if he needs another reason to be drawn in by her.

 

“So,” he says casually, plating food as she turns everything off, “you hate that I call you ‘kid’?” He really tries not to smirk when she slides her narrowed eyes his way, but he can’t help himself.

 

“Oh no, I mean, I’m almost 25 with five doctorates and a Nobel prize, I _love_ being condescended to.” She huffs a little, rolling her eyes as the corner of her mouth quirks up the slightest bit. Turning to face him, she sets down the utensils in her hand.

 

He chuckles, self-consciously. "Point taken."

 

She gives a heavy sigh. "Honestly, I already know I'm the youngest and most inexperienced member on the team." Her expression clouds briefly.

 

"It's not that, I-" The words catch in his throat, and he pinches the bridge of his nose before he can say something he'll regret.

 

Without warning, she's stepping into his personal space, and he's struck dumb by the sweet, almost tropical scent of her. "It's not what, Tony?" Her voice sends a shiver through him. "You always seem to find some way to avoid me, or chastise me, or remind me of how young I am. And then the other night..." She cocks her head. "Have I done something wrong?"

 

He slowly shakes his head. Her close proximity scrambles his focus, and he's finding it hard to breathe again. Shit. "No, Shuri."

 

When she bites her lip, his eyes zero in on the action. "Then what is it? Because if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to run me off."

 

Her tone is like warm honey, and it lulls him, draws him forward mindlessly while he struggles to put together a coherent thought. He fails, miserably, to pull his gaze away from her own. His tongue darts out to moisten dry lips. He catches the shift in her attention from his eyes to his mouth, and it nearly does him in.

 

The oven timer goes off, causing them both to jump. 

 

Shuri gives a breathless little chuckle and steps back.

 

When she turns, Tony sucks in a breath. He's grabbing two plates from the island when he speaks again. "Thanks. For helping me. You didn't have to do that."

 

She slowly walks back to where he stands. He's frozen in place, back resting against the island as she reaches around him to pick up a dish. "I'm sure you'll find a way to make it up to me," she murmurs. Her breath brushes against the side of his face, and he suppresses a groan. All he can do is watch as she saunters out of the kitchen, hips swaying, without a backward glance. 

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

Her fingers move of their own volition - swiping, tapping, dragging as she makes little adjustments here and major tweaks there. She works effortlessly, almost rhythmically, in time with her playlist that filters through the speakers, and she doesn't even notice when she's started singing softly to herself.

 

"Don't tell me you're a great singer, too?" Steve leans in the open doorway, arms crossed.

 

Shuri glances up and smirks. "How long have you been spying on me, Captain?"

 

He chuckles. "Not long, Princess, I promise." His right hand comes up to cover his heart as he strolls further into the lab. "I just came down to see if you're almost ready."

 

She raises a brow. "I thought we were doing this tomorrow?" 

 

"No, no, we are. But I know how much of a perfectionist you are, so I figured you'd be ready a full day before," he teases, and she can't help but chuckle a little.

 

“Well, you would be right. I just have to finish making a few adjustments to the transmitters, but I’m almost done with my suit, and the training sequences are ready.”

 

He sits in the empty chair next to her and leans over, watching her tinker for a moment.

 

“Why are you really down here, Steve?”

 

Shuri doesn’t look up, just continues to work as though she doesn’t currently have an audience.

 

“I talked to him the other day.”

 

Her movements falter, and she sighs. “Is everything alright?”

 

“It’s fine,” he assures her quickly. “He’s been on-mission for a while, wanted to reach out and let me know he’s okay.”

 

“Hm.”

 

“He misses you, you know.”

 

A snort escapes, and she sits back in her chair. Her tone is soft when she finally speaks. “What am I supposed to do with that information, Stevie? I’m sure he didn’t actually tell you that, did he?”

 

Steve shrugs. “No, he didn’t. But I know him. He used every round about way he could think of to ask about you, and I could hear it in his voice.”

 

“Well,” she says quietly, “you can tell him that I’m fine. And to take care of himself.” She really does mean that. Her heart doesn’t hurt anymore when she thinks of him now, the way it used to. There’s a wistfulness that still causes a twinge in her chest, but no more twisting in her gut, no sensation of breathlessness. And that feels like progress.

 

Steve watches her for several minutes. When she makes to stand up, he gently grabs her hand. “ _Are_ you fine? You’ve been a bit...different, lately.”

 

Shuri looks down at his hand lightly grasping hers, then back up to his face. Who knew Steve Rogers would become such a good friend? He called and visited frequently after bringing Bucky to Wakanda. At first, she found the Captain to be a nuisance. But as time went on, she realized how deeply the man cared for his best friend, and she was glad James had someone other than her who was concerned about his well-being. 

 

When Shuri and T’Challa decided that she would take over the Black Panther mantle, Steve was the first one to reach out and encourage her. Even now, as she sits in the laboratory, trying to calm the myriad thoughts that run through her mind, he’s here, supporting her.

 

“Like I told you and Nat, I just have a lot going on.” She chews her lip, working to keep her voice neutral and her mind away from where it’s currently threatening to drift. “Between my work, and now helping with Bruce and Tony’s, I’m busy. But I’m okay. I promise.” The mention of his name brings a heat to her belly, though, and she tries to reign it in.

 

Steve sighs heavily. “He’s my best friend. I get why he behaved the way he did. He was confused and scared. But-”

 

Shuri purses her lips. “I gave him time, Steve. I didn’t pressure him.”

 

“But,” Steve continues, “that does not excuse his behavior. You deserved better than that.”

 

She blinks. 

 

“You want my honest opinion?” He’s looking right at her now, and she smirks slightly at the serious expression on his face.

 

“Permission granted.”

 

He chuckles. “I just want to see you happy. And truthfully, he’s not ready for you.”

 

She squeezes his hand. “I know. I’ve moved on.”

 

When Steve arches a brow, a flush rises to her cheeks. “With Loki, or...?”

 

“I meant _in general_ , Rogers. Bast, you’re incorrigible.” She gives his shoulder a playful punch with her free hand, and he jerks back, dramatically.

 

"What's going on here?" 

 

They glance up to Tony standing in the doorway, and Shuri detects a tick in his jaw when his eyes flicker down to her hand in Steve's.

 

"Hey, Tony," Steve says brightly. Tony simply nods.

 

Shuri meets his gaze and tilts her head, but his expression doesn't soften. She turns to Steve, then, trying to ignore the stutter of her heartbeat. "Thanks for coming down, Steve. I appreciate it."

 

"Anytime, doll." He briefly squeezes her hand before releasing it. Rising to his feet after Shuri, he shoots her a small smile, then heads toward the door.

 

"Don't forget, training session tomorrow, first thing." He pats Tony on the back, briefly diverting his attention away from Shuri's face. 

 

"You got it." He nods stiffly, staring at Steve for a moment as he passes.

 

"Come down to thank me again for dinner?" She grins, but Tony just crosses his arms and slowly walks to her desk. "Something wrong?"

 

Tony clears his throat. "What was Rogers doing down here?"

 

Her eyes narrow in his direction. "What are _you_ doing down here right now? I thought you were out for the day." She turns back to her work and continues to tinker.

 

"Change of plans. He looked pretty comfortable." The ice in his tone is unmistakable.

 

"I don't think that's any of your business, Tony. What can I do for you?" He sweeps his eyes all the way up her body, but in that moment, all it does is irritate her.

 

He shrugs. "Figured I'd get some work done. Didn't expect to find you and Steve down here all cozied up and whispering to each other." From the look on his face, he instantly regrets the statement the moment he lets it slip, and Shuri inhales deeply to keep from smacking him.

 

"Are you kidding? What does it matter to you? Before yesterday, you could barely manage to call me by my first name, and now you're interrogating me?" She's suddenly so angry that her hands have started to shake, and she steps away from the desk to get in Tony's face. His eyes now are wide, mouth snapping shut as she backs him toward the door, but she keeps her voice low and even. "Why are you _actually_ here right now? You still didn't answer my question from last night: Have I done something wrong?"

 

Briefly, Tony squeezes his eyes shut, as if to center himself. When he opens them again, she's taken aback by the range of emotion she finds there. The heat that buzzes through her morphs into something else entirely as he pins her with his gaze. She catches the motion of his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

 

"Shuri..."

 

She waits for him to get the words out. But he's floundering, looking everywhere but at her now, and she's out of patience. "You should leave."

 

His eyes snap back to hers, and he presses his lips together. He shoves his hands into his pockets after a moment and backs up. "I didn't mean-"

 

"I'm busy, Tony." She stalks back to her workstation without another word. When she's alone again, her head is spinning, and she can't focus. Damn Tony Stark.

 

*

*

*

 

6:00 a.m. comes far too soon, and Tony finds himself rolling out of bed with barely a wink of sleep.

 

Trudging into the bathroom, he strips down and hurriedly gets ready to head downstairs, trying to clear his mind from yesterday.

 

He was such an ass. His face still burns from embarrassment at how he acted with Shuri. "What the hell am I even doing?" he mutters to himself, raking a frustrated hand through his wet strands. The last few days had been fine. He had somehow managed to rein himself in enough to be around her without making a complete fool of himself or pissing her off. The muscles in his stomach clench as he remembers cooking dinner with her the other night. 

 

And then walking into the lab yesterday to find Steve gently holding her hand, flashing those bright blue eyes at her... in the logical part of his mind, he knows Steve is nothing more than a friend to the Princess, and she was right; whatever conversation they were having truly is none of his business. That didn't stop the bile from rising to his throat when Rogers squeezed her hand and called her 'doll,' drawing a sweet smile from her.

 

Tony shakes his head as he dresses. He really owes her an apology. But the look in her eyes when she dismissed him yesterday morning makes him feel two feet tall, and he doesn't even know what to say. 

 

_The truth._

 

He scoffs at that. At best, she would laugh in his face at his ridiculous confession. At worst, she probably _would_ actually rip his heart out of his chest. But he can't leave things the way they are. She deserves better than that, at least, and he's done making her life miserable simply because he can't figure his shit out.

 

The alarm on his phone buzzes, and he shuts it off before exiting his room. Time to get this over with, first.

 

*

*

*

 

"Alright everybody, we're trying something a little different today." Steve faces the group, hands behind his back as he briefs them for the day's training sequence. "Everyone will be paired up to face off against each other. As you can see, we have the perimeter marked off. Each duo will be stationed on opposite ends of the field, at their own 'home base'. In the center of the field, is the objective. The goal is to navigate the obstacles on the field to get to the objective before your opponent, secure it, and get it safely back to your base in the allotted time. Shuri is the genius behind the course, so I'll turn this over to her."

 

She steps forward, nodding to Steve. "So, as you can see, there are several devices around the perimeter of the field. These are will project a simulated environment. I've designed a training program to make this exercise a bit more interesting." A mischievous smirk crosses her features. "The objective will be a glass timer, set in the center of the field. You'll have thirty minutes to complete the course and grab the objective. We'll draw names before each match to randomly match everyone up. Good luck!"

 

Stepping back, Shuri fiddles with her Kimoyo bracelet to cue up the program, and then she activates her suit.

 

It flows across her like water, swift and fluid. In seconds, the suit covers her body like a second skin, beautifully molding to her curves.

 

Tony's eyes couldn't leave her if they wanted to. This new upgrade is a work of art. The onyx suit is interwoven with contrasting luminescent purple and silver, weaving patterns that look like Wakandan lettering.

 

When she turns her head his way, she holds his gaze.

 

"Alright everyone," Steve shouts, clapping his hands together, "Sam, Nat - you're up first."

 

Sam pumps his fist and shoots Natasha a grin as he makes his way to his end. She rolls her eyes playfully before running off to the opposite side of the field.

 

The program is impressive. With each pairing, the setting changes - a crowded cityscape; a dense rainforest. Adrenaline starts pumping through Tony's veins. He can't wait to expel some of the excess energy that's been fueling him this last week, and this looks like it will fit the bill just fine.

 

Sam puts up a hell of a fight, but Nat takes him down without even breaking a sweat. She claims bragging rights for the foreseeable future, flipping him off when he demands a rematch.

 

Every match is close, going right down to the wire. Steve announces each pairing as their turn comes up, and everyone is excited when he's randomly matched up against Bruce. Watching the Captain and the Hulk race against the clock to reach the objective isn't near as entertaining as when they reach the center of the field and duke it out against each other. Steve is resilient, Tony has to give him that. The Hulk nearly pummels him into the ground, but Cap manages to recover enough to catch the big guy steps away from his goal. Steve has barely wrestled the objective away when the clock runs out, leaving both men breathless and exhausted. Nat runs onto the field to talk the Hulk down while Shuri resets the simulation.

 

She and Tony are the only two left. 

 

The realization hits him in the chest like a ton of bricks, and now he isn't so enthusiastic about this.

 

"Shuri and Tony, you two are closing this thing out," Steve announces, and Tony can hear Sam and Rhodey behind him taking bets.

 

Tony steps forward once the field is set. It appears to be some sort of multi-level maze. He activates his suit just as Shuri's looks his way. "I hope you know what you're in for, Stark." 

 

Her devilish smirk sends a flash of heat straight through him, but he manages to keep it together. "Bring it, Princess."

 

Glittering brown eyes narrow in his direction, and then her face is obscured by her suit. Watching her in motion nearly steals all his focus when she makes her way to her end of the maze. The buzzer that signals countdown initiation pulls him back to himself, pushing him to his end.

 

He takes in one last deep breath before the timer counts all the way down.

 

3

 

2

 

1

 

0

 

Then they're off. 

 

He sprints forward, then turns again and again, meeting the first dead end after several yards. "FRIDAY, get me a scan of the entire maze, show me what we're workin' with." A set of stairs up ahead leads to the upper level, and he moves forward without a second thought.

 

Then the walls start shifting around him. Within seconds, he's looking at a completely different maze. "What the shit?" he mutters to himself. 

 

"It appears the walls are set to change every five minutes, boss. You have twenty minutes left to extract the target."

 

He blows out a breath, taking a moment to gather himself. Shit. Okay. The maze is enclosed, so he can't do a flyover. And with the walls changing position periodically, he's going to have to be quick.

 

He can detect the energy signature from the objective, and uses that to guide him as he navigates up and around and down, dodging virtual enemies as he goes. Rounding a corner, he almost runs head-on into a simulated drone. The blast it shoots out is fairly harmless, but it still knocks Tony back several feet, and the walls shift again.

 

He takes it out with a repulsor blast before it can hit a second time, and he narrowly escapes being cutoff by one of the moving barriers.

 

The countdown reads 12:32:59 when he finally reaches the clearing. After scanning his immediate surroundings and finding it all clear, he rushes toward the pedestal to snatch the target.

 

And then he's tumbling ass over elbows, just feet away. 

 

He rights himself almost immediately, just in time to see Shuri scoop up the glowing timer and run back toward her side without missing a step.

 

The blast is aimed just above her head, and it has the intended effect. She stops short, giving Tony enough time to catch her off guard. He reaches her position and sweeps her legs out from under her, catching the objective from her hands as it slips out. 

 

But instead of landing on her ass, she flips backward. He prepares to lift off and fly back to the entrance of the maze on his side, when she leaps over his back and drops in front of him. Before he can blink, she snatches the objective from his hands and lands a kick to his chest that sends him straight into the maze wall on her side.

 

She's surging past just as he gets to his feet.

 

"Not so fast, Princess." 

 

He yanks her back by her elbow before she can respond. His attention is diverted momentarily when she tosses the objective high into the air, and she grabs his free arm to lift herself upward, locking her thighs around his neck to turn and flip him down to the ground. Hard.

 

She looks up and catches the objective effortlessly, not sparing him a glance as she runs off.

 

"Nice try, genius." Even through the suit, he can hear the laughter in her voice, and it drives him crazy.

 

He follows her straight into the maze, the five minute warning ringing in his ears. He can't hear her footsteps ahead of him, and she doesn't give off any type of detectable heat or energy signature, but he can detect the objective.

 

Catching up to her just as the maze shifts again, he leaps through a new opening right along with her. That gives him enough momentum to push her backward against a wall with both arms, effectively caging her in. 

 

His face is inches from hers when his helmet flips up, and she retracts hers as well. They're both panting, sweat dripping down their faces, but her eyes are dark and determined.

 

"Less than ten minutes. I've got you pinned."

 

Her chest heaves as she presses up against him. "I'll give you three seconds to back. Up."

 

"Gimme your best shot, kid."

 

That earns hims a growl, and then a jolt runs through his suit that blows him back against the opposite wall with such force that the air leaves his lungs and his vision blurs.

 

By the time everything stops spinning and he gets his bearings, Tony knows he'll feel this tomorrow. Groaning, he climbs to his feet, and Shuri is long gone. He chuckles to himself when the buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the exercise. She took him out without a second thought, but the gleam in her eyes right before she put him on his ass is what has his pulse pounding and his skin tingling. Fuck. She's good.

 

When he makes it back to the rest of the team, she's already heading toward the compound. His eyes are glued to her retreating form. And then she looks back, locking eyes with him in a searing glance that makes him shudder.

 

"I told you she was gonna kick your ass." Bruce slaps him on the back, chuckling.

 

Tony deactivates his suit and tears his gaze away from Shuri. "Yeah," he mutters, trying to keep the smirk off of his face, "she's somethin' else."

 

*

*

*

 

"Shuri!"

 

She stops short of her room and sighs. "What do you want, Tony?"

 

His chest feels heavy as he approaches. When she turns, her suit recedes back into the thin choker around her neck.

 

He exhales slowly. "I owe you an apology."

 

She quirks a brow at that, and he can read the slight surprise in her eyes. "I would say so."

 

"Yeah." Tony drops his gaze for a second, rubs the back of his neck. "I was out of line yesterday, in the lab." He looks up again to find her leaned back against her bedroom door, arms crossed. "It was none of my business what you and Steve were talking about, and I shouldn't have implied-"

 

"Implied what?" Her voice is far too even, and it makes his throat tighten. She grins before he gets a chance to answer. "There's nothing going on between Steve and I. But you knew that."

 

He nods. "Again, none of my business. I was tired, and cranky. I didn't expect to come down and find anybody in the lab." 

 

She watches him for a moment. "That's what you're going with?"

 

"What?" Her words smack him in the face. "I-I just wanted to say I'm sorry." He doesn't realize he's shaking his head.

 

"Anthony." 

 

His nostrils flare at his name on her tongue again, and she moves forward, just out of his reach. That's still entirely too close. The idea to step into her personal space and wind his arm around her waist flashes across his mind, and he bites his bottom lip hard to banish the thought.

 

"Sorry to interrupt. Shuri, you have an important call coming in. Would you like to take it in your room?"

 

She steps back and turns to open her door. "Yes, thank you, FRIDAY." 

 

Tony stops her before she makes it all the way inside her room. "Wait. Bruce wanted to see if you're free to meet in the lab later."

 

"Sure." She nods once, expression unreadable. Her door closes, leaving him standing alone in the hallway.

 

Dragging a hand down his face, he curses under his breath. Tony can't help but feel like he's digging himself deeper and deeper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't hate me for taking so long to update! Please accept this humble chapter, and let me know what you think? Things start to heat up in the next one, so I hope you all are still interested! 
> 
> Also, action sequences aren't my strong suit, so forgive any errors or weirdness in the training sequence scene. Sorry! 
> 
> Thank you so very much for reading. Please leave kudos and comments, they make my day! <3


	5. First Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The logical part of him - the part that ceases to function when he's near her, apparently - knows she's toying with him, pushing and pulling just because she can, because no one else in her life can seem to resist her, and what else does a gorgeous princess have to do when she already owns the world? 
> 
>  
> 
> It's as if she can smell the repression and frustration rolling off of him. And yet, he can't bring himself to go back to the way things were before that incident. He's like an addict, aching for any scrap of attention he can glean from her now, because he can never have her the way he truly wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry I’ve been away for so long! Hoping you all are still excited for this chapter. Thank you SO much for sticking around!

Her stomach sinks when she ends the call. The Wakandan International Outreach Centre has been up and running for the last four years, and there's never been an incident like this. 

 

Shuri prides herself especially on her technological prowess. The firewalls and encryption she has in place for all of her systems is far beyond anything even remotely heard of in the States, and really anywhere else in the world, as far as she knows. She'd just upgraded the security on the labs at the compound, the center, and her lab back home; the last news she expects to receive is a report of an attempted breach. 

 

She's showered and dressed in less than ten minutes, rushing down to the lab so she can log onto her system in Oakland.

 

"Where's the fire?"

 

Shuri barely notices Bruce's bewildered expression as she sweeps in and strides over to her workstation. She doesn't even bother sitting, fingers flying as she works.

 

Her eyes flit across the screen. After several minutes, she breathes a sigh of relief.

 

"Everything okay?"

 

She looks up to find Tony and Bruce staring at her expectantly. "I don't know. I just got a call from California. Someone tried to gain access to my system at the Outreach Centre. Everything seems to be fine..." She worries her lower lip between her teeth as she logs out. Something gnaws at the pit of her stomach. Whoever tried to break in only made it past the first firewall, but the system appears otherwise untouched. Still, she doesn't like any of it, and her instincts are pushing her to investigate further.

 

"You're kidding," Bruce says, incredulous. "Any idea who?"

 

Shuri shakes her head, fingers absently fiddling with her necklace. _There was an attempted break-in to the facility, as well, but the perpetrators fled the second the alarm was tripped_. Cebisa had appeared unfazed during the call, but Shuri detected a hint of worry in the woman's eyes. 

 

"I need to go to Oakland," she mutters, more to herself than to the two men watching her. "I'll feel better if I go there and make sure everything is alright in person. And I can run a trace on whatever tried to worm its way into my system."

 

"You want a hand?" 

 

Her eyes snap up to Tony's. There's no trace of sarcasm, or even condescension in his tone, and she's taken aback by it. She raises her chin. "I can handle it myself."

 

He nods automatically. "I know you can. But if someone is targeting you, it might be a good idea to have some backup. And I can probably be of more use with the computer aspect than anyone else on the team." 

 

She knows he's right. Whatever this is, she shouldn't go alone and leave herself vulnerable. But bringing _Tony_ as her backup? The jury is still out on whether or not they can function effectively together in the field, and their history doesn’t make her feel particularly confident about his ability to not be an idiot when she's around.

 

"I think that's a great idea."

 

All three of them turn to find Steve in the doorway, eyes focused on Shuri.

 

"FRIDAY just informed me about the call, and I knew you'd be down here," he says as she walks toward him. "When do you need to leave?"

 

She answers without hesitation. "I'm going to go pack right now. I think Natasha would probably be a better-"

 

"Tony's right." 

 

That stops her in her tracks, and she tilts her head, looking up into Steve's concerned blue gaze. 

 

"Nat actually has business elsewhere. And with Tony there to assist you, I'm guessing you can get this taken care of in half the time?"

 

She sighs. Steve has a point, and it would only make her look like a petulant child to protest. "That's likely a fair guess." Glancing over her shoulder, she arches a brow at the man in question. "How fast can you be ready?"

 

Tony's posture straightens and he clears his throat. "Gimme...what, ten minutes?" He briefly looks to Bruce, who minimizes the windows they were working with and nods. 

 

"That's fine. Meet me outside in fifteen." She narrows her eyes, hoping he gets the message that she's in no mood for his shenanigans, then turns and walks out without another word.

 

The elevator doors are almost closed when an arm shoves its way in.

 

"You mind some company?" 

 

Returning Steve’s grin, she leans back against the wall. "Does it matter if I say no?" 

 

He dips his head and chuckles.

 

"I'm kidding, Rogers, come on." 

 

He settles in beside her, watching her profile for a moment. "You okay with this?" he asks abruptly.

 

Suppressing a snort, she turns in his direction. "What, with the fact that you're sending Tony to babysit me?" It comes out a little sharper than she'd wanted, and she presses her lips together when Steve winces.

 

"You know that's not what this is, Shuri. Your brother would have my head if you went out there to look into a security breach, alone. You're not just an Avenger, you're a princess, which makes you an especially attractive target. And I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. We're a family. We look out for each other."

 

Her shoulders relax a bit at the softness in his tone. "I know, Steve."

 

"Tony will be the most useful to you. Besides, if anything, _you'll_ be babysitting _him_."

 

That makes her giggle, and she can't help but shake her head. "Bast, I hope not. That’s the last thing I need.” She rolls her eyes, trying not to let her mind drift to the earnest concern in Tony’s eyes a few moments ago.

 

Steve gently nudges her with his elbow. “Everything okay with you two?”

 

The elevator doors open then. They step out, and she brushes his question off with a shrug. “Same as usual. It’ll be fine.” She plasters a smile on her face, but she can tell that he notices the way it doesn’t reach her eyes. 

 

"Alright. How long do you need?"

 

"We should be back tomorrow, I can't see it taking me long to run the trace and update the security." From the sound of it, the attack wasn't terribly sophisticated, and she's confident that she can get to the bottom of it in no time, especially with Tony there to help. "I'll be fine, promise," she asserts, smiling genuinely at Steve now to reassure him. He's so serious, so much like T'Challa. She's one of the few people that can pull a genuine, full-bellied laugh out of him. And she also knows that he worries himself sick about her, just like her brother does.

 

Steve nods. “You need _anything_ , you call immediately, got it?” He fixes her with a stern gaze, but the affection and concern in his voice calm the anxiety roiling in her gut, just a bit.

 

“Copy that. We’ll be back before you know it.” She sends him a wink before they part ways in the hall. His soft chuckle follows her as she makes her way to her room.

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

She gazes out of the tiny window, watching the rush of blue and white around them. She’ll never get used to this. Despite having flown in the jet once before, it never ceases to amaze her that the technology is so primitive in comparison to her own designs - loud, bulky, messy. And yet, there’s still a certain beauty and cleverness in it.

 

Tony had insisted they take his jet instead of the quinjet so as not to leave the rest of the team stranded, should something come up while he and Shuri are across the country. 

 

The small cabin is comfortable enough, and there’s very little turbulence (thank Bast for that). Though, Tony hasn’t shown his face again since they boarded an hour ago, and she’s starting to wonder why he even bothered to come along. It still surprises her that he so readily volunteered, especially after that fumbling apology he gave outside of her room. 

 

She thinks back to the surge of adrenaline and electricity that coursed through her during their training exercise. The raw, hungry look in Tony’s eyes when he had her pinned to the wall, just before she knocked him on his ass, sends a flash of heat across her skin again. Shuri is certain that he still has no idea she overheard his conversation with Loki the other night. Her secret is safe, for the moment, but she can sense his resolve to keep his distance from her crumbling with every move he makes. That shouldn’t excite her as much as it does.

 

Now, lounging cross-legged in the plush leather chair, the events of the last nine days are beginning to weigh her down. The mere ten hours of sleep she’s managed over the past 72 hours are long gone. Exhaustion settles over her, pulls her under, gradually, to the low hum of the engines that fills the cabin.

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

She shifts slightly, curling her small body further into the reclined seat as late morning rays pour through the window. Tony halts in the entryway to the cabin. Even from here, he can see the dark fan of her lashes across her sharp cheekbones. She looks even younger like this - completely unguarded, and astonishingly beautiful. A low hum sounds in her throat, and the calm, steady rise and fall of her chest sends a flood of warmth through his body.

 

For just a second, he can imagine that she actually wants him here. In his mind, for this moment, their age difference, her royal status, their wildly different backgrounds - none of that matters. He imagines dropping to his knees in front of her, gently nudging her awake and confessing everything. 

 

Then he realizes how intrusive that is, how unfair it would be to unload his garbage bin of messy emotions onto someone so undeserving of his nonsense. 

 

His traitor brain pipes up to remind him of the sensation of her sweet breath brushing across his face the other night in the kitchen. _"I'm sure you'll find a way to make it up to me."_ That sends a shiver through him. His fingers grip the warm plate in his hand as he struggles to think of anything else. 

 

The logical part of him - the part that ceases to function when he's near her, apparently - knows she's toying with him, pushing and pulling just because she can, because no one else in her life can seem to resist her, and what else does a gorgeous princess have to do when she already owns the world? 

 

Another part of him suspects she's exacting her revenge for his interruption of her and Loki. It's as if she can smell the repression and frustration rolling off of him. And yet, he can't bring himself to go back to the way things were before that incident. He's like an addict, aching for any scrap of attention he can glean from her now, because he can never have her the way he truly wants.

 

The small plane rocks for a few seconds, throwing Tony off balance. Shuri shifts again. He slips back to the galley and gets rid of the plate of cooling food. If her sleep habits are anything like his, the last thing he should be doing right now is waking her up, even if it is to eat something. And she's unbearably adorable snuggling into that chair. It's almost hard to believe that only hours ago, she was kicking the living hell out of him without a second thought. That brings a smile to his lips as he steps back into the cabin and settles into the leather chair across from hers. He pops his earbuds in and pulls out his tablet, trying to keep his eyes from sliding her way. 

 

 

 

"Hey, kid."

 

Nothing.

 

"Shuri." Tony gently shakes her shoulder. Standing over her, he takes one more second to drink her in this way before nudging her in earnest. She turns into the warmth of his hand.

 

The breathy moan that slips from her lips brings heat to his face, and he bites his lip. He's eye-level with her now, crouching down to nudge her a third time.

 

"Wake up, darlin', we’re landing." He catches the slip at the same time that her eyelids flutter open. His breath catches in his throat. Her warm, sleepy gaze fixes on his. For half a second, he catches something in her eyes that sends a jolt through him. She yawns then, and he stands quickly, shaking his head to clear it of whatever he thought he saw. Wishful thinking, that's all it was. That's what he tells himself.

 

"What's going on?" Her voice is low, still raspy from sleep, and Tony wishes he could hear that sound every morning. 

 

"We're about to land. You should buckle up." 

 

"I can't believe I slept through the rest of the flight." She unfurls her lithe frame and sighs softly, stretching like a cat to shake the stiffness from her limbs. 

 

Tony ignores the little flip of his gut and turns his attention away to sit back down, while Shuri fumbles around for her phone. Once he's buckled in, he stares out the window, blankly watching as they drop beneath the clouds.

 

"Alright. See you soon."

 

He turns back to her when she ends the call. "Everything okay?" he asks, wondering at the small smirk she wears.

 

She lifts her eyes to his, and there's a glimmer there. "All good. I was just contacting our ride.”

 

 

 

Shuri hops down the stairs and onto the tarmac before Tony can even grab his bag. After checking in with his pilot, he follows after her, stopping short when he spots the lone figure leaning against a black SUV.

 

The man removes his sunglasses, and Tony’s brow furrows. _Of course._ He would recognize that stiff, suit-clad frame anywhere. Except something is different. He can't quite place what it is as he walks closer. Then Shuri throws her arms around the man's neck in a rare unrestrained display of affection, and Everett Ross's grin grows into a full-blown smile. Tony has never seen even a hint of a smirk on the stern agent's face. Watching the corners of the man's eyes crinkle as he chuckles warmly in Shuri's embrace is almost startling.

 

By the time Tony reaches them, Shuri has stepped out of his arms, giggling at something he said. 

 

"Ah, Tony, I trust you remember Everett?"

 

He clenches his jaw and nods. "Ross."

 

"Stark. Nice of you to come along." 

 

"Hm." Tony tries to gloss over the way the other man's hand lingers briefly at Shuri's waist. He tightens the grip on his duffel when Ross slides his blue-gray eyes toward the princess.

 

"Ready to go?"

 

Shuri nods, reaching for the front passenger door as Ross steps away.

 

"I'll get your bag, Princess." Ross grabs her backpack and opens the door to usher her inside. Tony doesn’t miss the appreciative once-over Ross gives as she climbs up and gets buckled in. When he slams the door, Tony’s right in front of him.

 

“Ready to go, agent?” Tony knows the steel in his tone is unmistakable as he cocks a brow.

 

The man simply stares back at him for a second before giving a sly grin and a tiny shake of his head. “Let’s get a move on, huh?”

 

The entire drive to the Outreach Centre, Tony sulks in the back seat, trying to drown out the sound of the easy, familiar banter drifting to him from the front seats.

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

"If you've got a handle on this, I'm going to review the surveillance video. Tony?"

 

He looks up at the sound of his name from her lips. "What? No problem, kid, I got it."

 

Shuri can't help herself then; she growls, the tiniest bit, deep in her throat. Tony’s eyebrows shoot up and his hazel eyes flash, but he has the grace to look slightly abashed. “Sorry, habit.”

 

“Right,” she sniffs before nodding for Ross to follow her to another workstation. She runs through the files and opens up the footage from the previous week, silently scanning for anything suspicious while he looks over her shoulder.

 

“So,” Everett begins after several minutes, “You and Stark...”

 

Shuri groans internally, grateful the heat that floods her cheeks isn’t visible. “What about him?” 

 

“Just surprised you brought him with you.”

 

She nearly snorts, but doesn’t look away from the screen as she replies. “Yes, well, he volunteered, so.” Her shoulders raise in a small shrug, and she squints, fast forwarding to get through to the next day.

 

“Huh.”

 

She pauses the video and turns around with a hand on her hip. “Spit it out, Everett.”

 

“He seems...protective.” A slight crease forms between Ross’s brow. Shuri blinks, struggling to come up with an answer with her heart pounding in her ears.

 

“Of what?” she asks innocently. He isn’t buying it.

 

“Of you.” He turns briefly, and Shuri catches sight of Tony’s head as it jerks back to the screen in front of him when she glances over Ross’s shoulder. “He’s barely stopped watching you since he stepped off the plane.” His voice is low, but she hears the tension there. 

 

A sigh escapes before she can stop it. “I’m sure you’re imagining it. All that CIA training has given you an overactive imagination.” She winks, and Everett raises a brow. "You know as well as I do, Tony is harmless." She tries to keep the edge out of her voice. For all the tense, heated exchanges between her and Tony recently, he has yet to act on what she sees in his eyes. She's starting to believe that he actually is harmless. The pang of disappointment that brings is harder to push down than she likes.

 

“If you say so.” Everett chuckles, but it’s short and hollow.

 

Restarting the surveillance footage, Shuri turns back to the screen and continues fast forwarding. They examine the video in silence.

 

“Hey, Shuri, you might wanna take a look at this.”

 

She turns at the uncertainty in Tony’s voice. “What is it?”

 

He shakes his head, glances at the screen once more before returning his gaze to her.

 

“It’s okay, I’ve got this,” Ross assures her. She nods before making her way over to Tony.

 

“What am I lookin’ at here?”

 

She steps in next to him and leans forward on the desk, too busy examining the activity on the screen to notice that he barely moves out of her way.

 

“It’s a program I designed to identify and disable foreign code that tries to impregnate my systems,” she mutters, busily typing and swiping through windows. “It identifies any files that were specifically targeted and automatically traces the source of the hack, sending a virus to the machine where the hack originated."

 

“Shit,” Tony mumbles. She bites her lip at the awe in his voice. “Is it an AI?”

 

A smirk crosses her lips. “Not quite.” 

 

She can feel his eyes on her as she works. "I've never even seen code like this," he whispers to himself.

 

"You wouldn't have. I wrote a language specifically for this purpose," she answers distractedly.

 

"Wait, you what?"

 

Her stomach chooses that moment to speak up. 

 

"When's the last time you ate?" Tony asks. 

 

She waves a hand dismissively as she keeps working. "Last night, I think."

 

"Shuri."

 

"Hm?"

 

"Hey." He shifts beside her, leaning into her personal space and softly nudging her side with an elbow. A small shudder runs through her, and she turns her head to find Tony's worried gaze fixed on her own. "You need to eat something, Princess." It's the first time he's ever called her that without a hint of sarcasm or humor. Something about the way it rolls off his tongue while he's so near and staring so intently shoots a flash of heat through her belly.

 

She huffs. "I just want to get this taken care of, then we can eat."

 

Tony stares for a moment, but she refuses to budge. The trace is almost done, and she'll be damned if she takes a break before she has answers. 

 

"Fine," he says after a few seconds. He steps back, lips pressed into a thin line. "I'll go grab something, just text me what you want. Hey Ross, where are your keys?"

 

Everett turns around and shakes his head. "Oh no. No way are you driving my car anywhere. _I'll_ go grab food while you two work. I need some more coffee, anyway."

 

Shuri frowns as she watches him pause the video and walk toward them. "You're sure? I can send out for something."

 

"No, it's fine, I could use a breather. Besides, it'll give me a chance to take a second look around the perimeter." He waves her off, but she doesn't miss the stern glance he sends Tony's way. "Stark, try not to be too much of a nuisance while I'm gone, huh?"

 

Tony frowns in indignation. His mouth opens, no doubt with some witty retort on the tip of his tongue, but Shuri cuts him off. "Trust me, I could handle this one in my sleep, I'll be fine." She gestures toward Tony. "Thanks for doing this. I'll text you what we want."

 

Ross nods once before backing out of the lab.

 

“You could handle me in your sleep?”

 

Shuri turns back in Tony’s direction. If she didn’t know any better, she would think that’s a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. She licks her lips, running her eyes down the length of his body before turning back to the screen in front of her. “It’s an expression, Anthony,” she deadpans.

 

He hums at that. “Is it?”

 

She purses her lips. Is Tony openly flirting with her? On purpose? Her phone vibrates, then. "Everett's asking what we want for lunch."

 

"I don't care, you pick." He shrugs, and she can't help but scoff at the response. She types out a quick answer to Ross and places her phone back on the desk. "What'd you tell him?"

 

"I thought you didn't care," she challenges, tossing her braids over her shoulder.

 

When she arches an eyebrow, he chuckles. "Fair enough."

 

"Why don't you keep looking at the surveillance footage while I finish up with the trace?" The buzzing of her phone draws her attention before he can respond. 

 

"Ross again?"

 

Shuri looks up from the screen after a moment and rolls her eyes. "Get to it, Stark. I'd really like to sleep in my own bed tonight." Any bite in her tone is softened by the tiny smirk she throws his way. Tony's eyes linger on hers as he ambles over to his new post.

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

It's well past dark by the time they start getting any real answers. The security cameras caught someone skulking around the Centre the day before the attempted break-in, and the partial license plate of their vehicle was visible. That information, along with the IP address of where the hack originated and the proxy servers used, is more than enough for Agent Ross to work with.

 

"I've got a few contacts I think can get us some more information," he tells Shuri. "Give me a couple of days, I can put a file together with everything you'll ever need to know."

 

Tony looks up from what he's doing to watch the exchange. 

 

Shuri nods gratefully at Ross. "Send everything directly to me, as soon as you have it. We're just going to finish with the updates and then we'll be heading back to New York."

 

"You know I have a place nearby, you sure you don't want to stay, just for tonight? It's getting pretty late." Concern is evident in the man's voice, but Shuri simply waves him off.

 

"You worry too much, Ev. Tony's pilot is on stand-by, and this shouldn't take too much longer," she replies softly. 

 

Ross glances briefly in Tony's direction before turning back to the princess. "Okay. I'm gonna go make a few calls, and then I'll be back. Let me know when you're ready to head out."

 

"Thank you." She makes her way over to Tony once Ross leaves the room.

 

"What's up, your Highness?" he asks, trying for nonchalance. She bites her lip. Tony can tell she's suppressing an exasperated sigh.

 

"How's this coming along? I'm almost done transferring all my files and updating the firewalls."

 

She's leaning against the desk now, eyes trained on him, and Tony can feel the heat from her body. He takes a deep breath. "Doin' fine here. Building security upgrades should be complete in another twenty." Crossing his arms, he studies her for a second. "You sure you don't wanna leave tomorrow? I could crash here and keep an eye on things if you wanted to stay with Ross?" He grits that last part out between clenched teeth, hoping she doesn't sense the bitterness behind his words.

 

He doesn't know much about the CIA agent, or his relationship with the princess. It's entirely too familiar for Tony's liking, and he really is trying to swallow down the tinge of jealousy that surfaces every time he catches the other man staring too long or smiling too brightly at Shuri. She doesn't seem to notice the attention. Tony doesn't know how to feel about that.

 

She stands up straight and shakes her head. "Ross was just being a good friend, but I'm not going to leave you here. I want to get this taken care of so we can go home." 

 

He can't help but return her smile. "You got it."

 

"I'll be back in a few. I have some parts I need to take back with us for my research, I'm going to go pack them up."

 

"Sure thing. Let me know if you need any help." 

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

"Shit!"

 

Tony starts at the sound of her pained hiss. He hops up from his chair and strides toward the back room. "Shuri?"

 

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she shouts, sounding more annoyed than alarmed, now.

 

When he steps across the threshold into the crowded store room, he finds her gripping her right hand, looking around for something to mop up the blood.

 

"Hell, Shuri, what happened?" He rushes over to her. Stripping his shirt off, he gently grasps her wrist, wrapping the fabric around her palm. She winces a bit as he applies pressure.

 

"Thank you," she mutters. "I was trying to move the equipment on that shelf out of the way to grab my tools, but my hand got stuck. I didn't realize there was a nail sticking out, and when I yanked free, it sliced right into my palm." She blows out a breath in frustration and unwraps her hand.

 

Tony grimaces, noting the torn layers of skin. "Ouch. That's pretty deep, you might need stitches."

 

She looks up, nose wrinkled in distaste, and he has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking at how cute she is. 

 

"Absolutely not. I have a first aid kit under that cabinet over there. There should still be a supply of surgical bonding agent." She gestures to the aforementioned cabinet in the far corner, and Tony obliges. He can hear her moving behind him while he rummages around.

 

"Holy shit, are you running a hospital?" The "kit" is a rather enormous case that resembles a large toolbox. It has to weight at least fifty pounds.

 

She's rinsing her hand in a small sink near the back when he makes his way to her. "Thanks. You can set it on the counter, I've got it."

 

"Let me help, I've got two working hands." 

 

Her tongue swipes across her bottom lip. She glances at his hands before returning her attention to the running faucet. "I appreciate that, but I can take care of it."

 

He sighs. Shifting on his feet, he crosses his arms. "I wasn't askin'." His tone is gentle, but firm.

 

She looks up, and the shock is evident in her wide eyes. 

 

Tony doesn't know what's come over him. It's ridiculous, really. Shuri is anything but a damsel in distress, and she's made it clear at every turn that she can take care of herself. He has the bruising on his chest from their little training session to prove it. But the sight of her cradling her dominant hand as it continues to bleed causes his protective instincts to flare up fiercely. So much so that his chest constricts.

 

Her eyes narrow, but he holds her gaze. When she lurches forward toward the first aid kit, he pushes it out of her reach. "Seriously?" he questions, arching a brow. "You're right-handed, Shuri. This'll be a lot faster if you just let me help."

 

She huffs. "Fine." 

 

"Come on, hop up." He pats the counter before turning to grab what he needs from the kit.

 

Rolling her eyes, she climbs up onto the counter to have a seat, groaning at the pain in her hand. "You're extremely demanding, you know." 

 

He cant help but chuckle as he turns her palm up. "And you're really fucking stubborn."

 

The surprised giggle that draws out of her makes his chest tighten even more, and it takes effort to focus on washing her palm with the saline solution, instead of the way her whole face brightens. After a few seconds, he grabs the tweezers to peel away the torn skin from along the edge of the large gash. 

 

"You might wanna grab onto something for a minute, this won't feel good," he warns. She grips the counter with her left hand. "You know," he muses, getting to work, "I think that's the first time I've ever made you laugh." He instantly feels silly for saying it aloud. When he looks up, she's watching him.

 

"I think you're right," she answers after a moment. Then she groans at the sharp bite of alcohol meeting raw flesh.

 

"Sorry. Almost done."

 

He works in silence for the next several minutes, cleaning, wiping, applying ointment. Her skin is like warm silk against his own calloused fingers, and his jaw tightens with the effort to resist stroking her hand. When he's finished, she shifts on the counter. "The surgical glue is in the bottom compartment. You don't need a lot."

 

Tony nods. Moving to stand directly in front of her, he holds her hand closer to his face. The clear bonding agent goes on easily. He puts the container and applicator away after finishing up. Without thinking, he leans in and purses his lips. His breath hits her palm, and he doesn't miss the little gasp she lets slip.

 

He jerks his head up to find her staring straight at him, eyes wide, pupils blown. His mouth opens, but no words come, and he attempts to step back. But her hand darts forward, slender fingers gripping the hem of his undershirt. He can't move, and he's pretty sure all the oxygen has been sucked out of the room. His skin is practically on fire. Somehow, her hand feels even hotter as it brushes the skin of his belly. Save for the rapid rise and fall of his chest, he's completely frozen, eyes searching every inch of her face to try and make sense of what's happening. 

 

"Shuri." It comes out low, strangled. His voice sounds foreign to his own ears, almost pleading. His next words catch in his throat when she tightens her grip and tugs him forward.

 

He follows willingly. She's so close, the warmth of her body and the scent of her skin drowning out the remnants of whatever pathetic excuses he's been clinging to all this time. He licks his lips and she squirms, thighs parting reflexively. 

 

"Look at me, Tony." Her husky whisper makes him shudder. He cautiously shifts his gaze back to hers. There's no disgust, no anger, no trepidation, none of the emotions he's convinced himself should be there. Her eyes are amber on sepia, hooded and piercing him straight through with a glimmer that promises to completely end him. She doesn't even blink when she breathes it out. "What do you want?"

 

And then his lips are on hers. They're impossibly soft, yielding to the pressure of his own without hesitation. Shuri's muffled sigh of surprise stops his heart. 

 

Tony braces his hands on the counter, struggling to keep from grabbing her hips. His body has other ideas. His thumbs brush the sides of her thighs and her mouth falls open. He slowly traces her bottom lip with his tongue, then quickly licks at her top lip. That draws a whimper from her, and her fingers dig into sides. Everything else is wiped from his brain except the way she tastes (how is she so sweet?), and the rasp in her voice, and the softness of her skin.

 

She welcomes his tongue into her waiting mouth, strokes with the same urgency he feels. When she nips at his lips, he groans. He grasps her thighs and parts them fully, yanking her to the edge of the counter and against his hardening length with much more force than necessary. 

 

But she moans and rolls her hips, and his eyes squeeze shut at how hot she is against him. Tony slips his hands around her tiny waist, down to grip at her bottom. She bucks into him. 

 

His lips travel to her chin, her jaw, just behind her ear. "Want you, Shuri." His words are slurred, but he can't be bothered to care. She exhales sharply and nods. Bringing a hand up to grip the back of his neck, she directs his attention back to her lips. 

 

Her drinks from her mouth desperately, chasing the buzz that's spreading through his system. The thirst only grows. His lips, his tongue, his hands, are needy, aching for more and taking what she offers. 

 

Then his blood runs cold.

 

Footsteps echo from the front of the lab. "Helloooo? Where'd everybody go?" Shit. Ross.

 

Tony flinches, stepping away abruptly. He sobers enough to pull in a deep breath. Shuri makes to jump down from the counter, and he offers her a hand. His eyes are glued to the way she gracefully jumps down, and he has half a mind to cage her in and hoist her right back up, consequences be damned. 

 

His lips still buzz, and he rubs at them to ground himself. That brief taste has him feeling almost dizzy, and if he wasn't hopelessly hooked on the princess before, he absolutely is, now. 

 

 _Fuck_.

 

"Thank you," she says quietly. 

 

A pang of guilt hits him. He really had meant to help, nothing more. But whatever hold she's got on him is overriding every ounce of logic and reason in his head, and he can't bring himself to truly regret his brief lapse in judgement when he licks the remnants of her gloss from his lips.

 

Still, he feels as though her owes her an explanation, or an apology. Something other than silence, because she's watching him expectantly, in that way that makes him feel completely exposed.

 

"I'm sorry, Shuri."

 

She tilts her head. "No you're not."

 

No. He's not.

 

"Neither am I." Her faint grin blooms into a wide smile, and he chuckles self-consciously, rubbing the back of his neck to cover the heat in his cheeks. 

 

"Shuri?" Ross's voice is closer now. "I think the updates are done..."

 

She tilts her head in the direction of the doorway and shouts, "Back here! I'll be right out."

 

Before Tony can move, Shuri brushes past him. His nostrils flare at the brief slide of her body against his, and he nervously clears his throat.

 

Stopping short of the door, she turns to find him frozen in place. She raises a brow. "Coming?"

 

The playful mischief in her tone kicks him back into gear, and he blinks before starting to walk to the front of the room. She doesn't wait for him, just tosses one more smirk his way before turning to walk out into her laboratory.

 

What has he gotten himself into? Tony shakes his head as he follows her out, muttering under his breath. _"Fuck me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With any luck, this chapter has (hopefully) made up for the length between updates. Please let me know your thoughts, constructive feedback, etc.! Comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated! :) I can’t thank you enough for reading my little story. Chapter 6 coming soon! <3


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